PGA Tour Suspends Phil Mickelson and Other Saudi Tour Defectors, Commish Bashes Players Who ‘Decided to Turn Their Backs’

Ken MeyerJun 9th, 2022, 10:57 am
 
Phil Mickelson

Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

The PGA Tour has suspended Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and 15 other golfers for playing in the first Invitational Series of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf event.

The PGA released a statement from Commissioner Jay Monahan announcing the suspension of players who’ve chosen to take part in the controversial series. The commotion stems from the financial backing LIV Golf has received from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

From the statement:

We have followed the tournament regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation.

Simultaneous to you receiving this memo, the players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour

Mickelson and Johnson were among the biggest names banned by the PGA for taking the lucrative deal to participate in the LIV, Johnson and several other golfers resigned their PGA memberships before getting hit by the ban.

Monahan’s announcement explains that the 17 have been banned from the PGA’s Presidents Cup and all tours sanctioned by the PGA. “The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations,” he added.

LIV Golf issued an official statement on Twitter Thursday morning, calling the PGA’s announcement “vindictive” and “troubling.”

Tags: