LIV Golf Invitational Participants Announced

We are still a few months away from really digging into the NFL odds at BetUS as some of the other sports are still in the news. The NBA and NHL typically dominate the headlines in June, but professional golf has everyone talking right now.

The LIV Golf Invitational is preparing for its first-ever tournament as it tries to be a direct competition with the PGA Tour. This is a league that is backed by investors from Saudi Arabia, and it is offering golfers the chance to win big money. 

The LIV Golf Invitational has been claiming that it had some of the top golfers in the world signed up to participate, but the list was finally announced. While most of the players set to play are not big names on the PGA Tour, there are a couple of names that stand out.

Dustin Johnson is the biggest name on the list, and it was shocking to see him joining the LIV for a couple of reasons. Johnson was the number one ranked player in the world just a few years ago, and he also pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour earlier this year. 

By joining the LIV Golf Invitational, Johnson could potentially give up his rights to play on the PGA Tour, and you might not hear his name mentioned much again. Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell are two other notable names set to tee it up at the LIV Golf Invitational, but those players announced their decisions long ago. 

There will be 42 players teeing it up at the first event that is set to take place at the Centurion Club in London. The format of this tournament will be different as there is no cut and everyone will play 54 holes. 

Little information is known about the overall format of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, and it’s unclear if new players will be added along the way. There are some of these events that are scheduled to take place in the United States, but a major broadcasting company has not yet signed up to televise the golf. 

The biggest reason for joining the new golf league is the big money that is attached to each event. For the best players on the PGA Tour, they should have a better chance to win as they won’t face as tough of competition. You will be able to find odds for this first event at BetUS now that the field has been announced. 

RBC Pulling Sponsorships

One of the biggest reasons that this new golf league is a direct threat to the PGA Tour is that the events will be played at the same time. This first event will be held at the same time as the RBC Canadian Open, and RBC is not happy with a couple of the participants. 

McDowell and Johnson both had sponsorships with RBC before this announcement, but the company is dropping them immediately. This likely would have happened regardless, but the fact that they are missing the RBC Canadian Open made it an easy decision.

Johnson signed a massive partnership with RBC back in 2018 when he was the number one ranked golfer in the world. TaylorMade is another company that has a partnership with Johnson, but that company has not yet decided on whether or not to end the sponsorship. 

PGA Tour Fighting Back

The PGA Tour has continued to balk at the notion of the LIV Golf Invitational Series stealing players, and it took a hard stance from the beginning. Commissioner Jay Monahan threatened fines or suspensions for any player looking to play in this league, and the PGA Tour declined requests for exemptions. 

Permanent bans could also be coming from the PGA Tour for players that choose to play in London. This could eventually turn into a long legal battle and one that will likely play out well into the Summer. 

If the PGA Tour does not fight back against this new league then it could risk losing even more players as the season moves along.