Johnson, lately the arena No. 13, would be the highest-ranked participant on the event, which may even come with Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace.
As just lately as February, Johnson stated that he used to be “absolutely dedicated to the PGA Excursion.”
Then again, six-time primary winner Phil Mickelson, an outspoken supporter of the brand new excursion, does now not function within the box at England’s Centurion Membership. The 51-year-old stated in February he would take “a while away” from golfing after being criticized for feedback he made about Saudi Arabia’s regime and the rustic’s new excursion.
“Unfastened company has in spite of everything come to golfing,” Greg Norman, LIV Golfing CEO and Commissioner, stated in a observation. “This is a chance to begin a motion that may alternate the process historical past by way of bringing new and open pageant to the game all of us love.
“The need proven by way of the gamers to take part in LIV Golfing demonstrates their emphatic trust in our style and self assurance in what we are construction for the long run.”
Norman gained fierce complaint ultimate month for showing to downplay the the homicide of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi forward of the excursion’s release, announcing: “We have all made errors.”
A US intelligence record named Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, as liable for approving the operation that ended in the 2018 homicide of Khashoggi — one thing bin Salman denies.
The Centurion Membership event may have a complete prize pot of £20 million ($25.2M), with £3 million ($3.8M) for the successful golfer. Six puts nonetheless stay open within the 48-man box.
The development will happen from June 9/11, the similar time because the PGA Excursion’s Canadian Open, which Johnson have been scheduled to compete in.
In a observation posted on Twitter, the Canadian Open, a event Johnson gained in 2018, stated it used to be “dissatisfied” together with his determination to choose to play within the Saudi-backed tournament.
“As a previous RBC Canadian Open champion, Canadian golfing fanatics have been taking a look ahead to DJ’s go back this 12 months,” it stated. “Our focal point remains to be on internet hosting the generally celebrated go back of the RBC Canadian Open and inviting the arena’s very best gamers to Canada.”
The PGA Excursion has now not granted permission for its gamers to compete in different places and so they may just reportedly be set to stand punishment for his or her determination.
“Dustin has been considering the chance off-and-on for the previous couple of years,” David Winkle at Hambric Sports activities Control stated in a observation on behalf of Johnson.
“In the long run, he determined it used to be in his and his circle of relatives’s very best passion to pursue it. Dustin hasn’t ever had any factor with the PGA TOUR and is thankful for all it has given him, however finally, felt this used to be too compelling to go up.”
