If it feels like the pro golf world has fractured a bit, that’s because it has. The launch of the LIV Golf series has driven a wedge into the men’s game in recent weeks, with, as of this writing, 20 PGA Tour players (and counting) joining the series.
But all of that has come out in a trickle. Some players swore off the series, while others stayed quiet. Others yet — like Bryson DeChambeau — even flipped their opinions in a matter of days. Who is all involved with the LIV series? It can get confusing, but we’ve spelled it out for you below.
Phil Mickelson is the obvious one. Mickelson has become the face of the Tour by signing on to play all eight events in 2022 and all 10 events planned for 2023. He’s also among the 17 players who were suspended by the PGA Tour just moments after they teed off in the first LIV event. Mickelson, unlike most of the others, has not resigned his Tour membership, and believes he deserves to maintain his lifetime membership status.
Dustin Johnson is the other big name who recently committed to the series. Unlike Mickelson, Johnson has resigned his Tour membership. It was Johnson’s involvement, according to various Tour sources, that changed the scope of the series for many professionals. Pat Perez is one of those pros, who admitted that Johnson is “100% the reason” why he’s playing.
Perez committed during the final round of the LIV Golf London event, just hours after 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed committed, and two days after DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open champion, committed. Speaking with reporters at the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline, DeChambeau called the move “strictly a business decision.”
In total, the series currently boasts six different Masters champions, inclusive of Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel, who both played in the first LIV event. The most recent commits came just days after the U.S. Open, with 4-time major champion Brooks Koepka and Abe Ancer.
At the moment, LIV Golf has a wide array of players taking part. Some of them have signed multiple-year contracts. Others are going to take part in some events here, other events there. The fields are capped at 48 players, so the more names involved, the fewer spots available. Below is a list of notable players who have played in the series or committed to future events.
We will update this post as more names join the series.
LIV Golf committed players, future players
Phil Mickelson
Dustin Johnson
Sergio Garcia
Brooks Koepka
Bryson DeChambeau
Patrick Reed
Pat Perez
Abe Ancer
Matthew Wolff
Carlos Ortiz
Eugenio Chacarra
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Martin Kaymer
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Talor Gooch
Matt Jones
Graeme McDowell
Kevin Na
Andy Ogletree
Turk Pettit
Charl Schwartzel
Hudson Swafford
Peter Uihlein
James Piot
Chase Koepka
Shaun Norris
Justin Harding
Sam Horsfield
We will update this post as more names join the series.
