LIV Golf

Centurion Club had plenty of pomp for the first event of the startup series, but after the shotgun start players said 'it was just golf.'

LIV Golf spared no expense to put on this golf tournament in a matter of two and a half months. "The people were terrific and it was fun to hit some good shots and get in a competitive frame of mind again. When it was complete – and basically, all finished at the same time due to the shotgun start – the festivities began again. And it continued into the evening. Phil Mickelson was playing for the first time in more than four months, since the final round of the PIF Saudi International tournament, where he finished 17th. The shotgun start.

Shortly after they teed off in the first LIV Golf event, every PGA Tour member was suspended. Graeme McDowell was dismayed. Ian Poulter vowed to appeal.

“I wanted to keep the moral high ground and kind of remain a member of the Tour because I really didn't feel like I needed to resign nor that I should have to resign. This is no different, I am committed to playing around the world like I have done for so many years so it is a shame if they view this as different. If that’s the way he wants to go, that’s the way he wants to go.’’ I love the PGA Tour. It's been great to me. “But like I say, I didn't want to resign. Excited to finally be here playing and see the reaction of the people and the players and everything. We have a compelling option which is not agreeable by the big tours in the world. Phil Mickelson, who Wednesday said as a lifetime member of the PGA Tour he should be allowed to keep that honor and play when he wants, said he would not comment on PGA Tour business. A guy like Sergio García has been doing that for the last five years of his life. It's going to allow me to see my family more, spend more time with my kids, 4 and 2, spend as much time as I can, and I make a good living doing it. “We figured at some point they might want to circle the wagons and get us all in agreement.’’ “We knew that loophole existed and certainly you can understand tournaments might want to get the best players possible.’’

LIV Golf has turned professional golf into a reality show, and the worst is just beginning.

Still, it’s not the job of Augusta National, the USGA, the R&A and PGA of America to clean up this mess, and that the tour is beholden to them to succeed should be a wake-up call. One of the things that holds our attention are the players in the arena, and when you invest as much time and emotion as being a fan requires it’s understandable to develop certain feelings towards them. The money is too tempting and where that money comes from has not been a deterrent to a contingent of golfers. It insists on selling the importance of the playoffs, and the moment you have to explain why you matter is the moment you prove the opposite. In our neck of the woods, that is golf. And a product that now raises a question of morality. LIV Golf? In spite of its trappings—perhaps in spite of itself—LIV Golf has proved over the past nine days it is very real, and its evolution from a concept to something concrete has massive consequences. If tour officials don’t take this moment to take a serious analysis of the product it’s presenting, they are just as much a threat to themselves as LIV Golf is to them. How that is additive to the sport, how that is interesting to golf fans, remains unclear. Which brings us to the problem facing the PGA Tour, and make no mistake, it is bad. LIV Golf is the antithesis of this spirit. There is a fundamental fault with the competition that LIV Golf is creating, and for a second put aside the problematic strings to this venture and focus on that competition.

The fury of LIV Golf — a product of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund — was clear, calling the PGA Tour “vindictive" with a decision that will only deepen the ...

Across the course, the only branding was from LIV Golf and a sparse number of spectators in attendance. To all the golfers who defected to the renegade series, they now face banishment from future tour events. I don't know how the teams are set up." There were no signs of the Saudi backing across the Centurion Club, nor any sponsor branding. “I've seen an awful lot of changes.” ST. ALBANS, England — At a distance it looked like a military flypast and Grenadier Guards trumpeting in a royal-style occasion.

Dustin Johnson looks on, with Beefeater guards in the background, during the first round of the first LIV Golf event. Aitor Alcalde/LIV Golf.

His routine par on the 492-yard opener involved a long drive into the fairway, an approach to maybe 18 feet and two putts. Time will tell, but until it does there is something different for this tournament in the feel department. All that activity didn’t end with the tee shots. There’s a red double-decker bus that is actually a “vintagebusbar.” There’s a red phone box that may or may not contain a working telephone. And putting guru Phil Kenyon was in position on the practice green. “Vindictive” LIV Golf called it in a prompt rebuttal. On the (too small) range things have looked pretty much as you’d expect on any other tour. And only four are inside the top 50. Which is not to say things may change on the front. For one thing, the overall quality of this field falls far short of your typical Grand Slam event. They all have a certain something, and not necessarily all the same something, that makes them distinct from the norm. HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England — Golf tournaments, big golf tournaments, have an individual feel that bequeaths a certain and identifiable vibe.

As a splashy new series begins, the PGA Tour says 17 golfers playing in it "are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA TOUR ...

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and other PGA Tour members who teed off in the Saudi-funded golf league Thursday are no longer eligible for PGA Tour events ...

Each tournament offers $25 million in prize money, with $4 million for the individual winner. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." This one did, with the backing of riches the likes of which golf has never seen. He said the tour will make sure those who haven't resigned will not affect rankings on various lists of tour players. "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. The USGA already has said eligible players can still compete in the U.S. Open next week.

Following the start of the inaugural LIV Golf event near London on Thursday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced that all golfers playing in the ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and -- more importantly -- to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf." On Tuesday, captains selected the rest of their teams in a draft format akin to the NFL and NBA drafts. It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing. Can they eventually play PGA TOUR Champions? Trust that we're prepared to deal with those questions, and we'll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA TOUR regulations that you helped establish. As far as what happens now for the PGA Tour, Monahan added in the statement: "You probably have more questions.

The controversial LIV Golf International Series has arrived, with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson headlining a 48-player field for the first event, ...

What the consequences are going to be, obviously I can’t comment on how the tour is going to handle (it)." The Tour issued a statement on June 1 reiterating that members have not been authorized to participate in the series and that those who "violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action." Dustin Johnson, at No. 15, is the highest-ranked golfer to join the new series. The schedule runs from June through October and does not conflict with any existing majors. A total of $255 million will be awarded in prize money across the eight LIV tournaments. Norman told The Washington Post that LIV offered Tiger Woods a “mind-blowingly enormous” amount (think high nine digits) to sign on. One-time major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are reportedly the latest players to join the new tour and will debut at LIV Golf's second event in Oregon on June 30. Understand that they still want to chase trophies and championships that mean something in the history of the game of golf. “I’m sure the money is a big part of it, but I don’t know what the other consequences are going to be, the punishments, whatever the fallout is in terms of them leaving the Tour,” Curry said. (For comparison: the U.S. Open, the biggest purse of the four majors, awards $12.5 million in prize money, with the winner getting $2.25 million.) He will be replaced by Peter Drury, The Athletic confirmed last week. There’s a number of things at play here.

Seventeen golfers who are currently playing in the LIV Golf Series have been suspended for an unspecified period, the PGA Tour announced Thursday.

He reportedly received $125 million to join the tour. “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." The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London and beyond," LIV Golf said. LIV Golf will dole out a combined $250 million in prize money across events, individual winners, and winning teams. Those who choose to participate in the future will also be suspended, the Tour announced. The tour has already landed a number of big names.

Par 70. 1. Charl Schwarzel -5 2. Hennie Du Plessis -4. T3. Scott Vincent -3. T3. Phachara Khongwatmai -3. T5. Branden Grace -2. T5. Justin Harding -2

T24. Kevin Na +3 T24. Jinichiro Kozuma +3 T24. Kevin Yuan +3 T24. Oliver Fisher +3 T24. Jediah Morgan +3 T24. Richard Bland +3

Alan Shipnuck, author of a recent biography on Phil Mickelson, was removed from the flash interview area at the LIV Golf event.

Shipnuck sent text messages to LIV Golf’s commissioner, Greg Norman, to point out the incident, and Norman replied that he had not heard about it. Afterward, Mickelson spoke to members of the press, as is customary. In an email to Golfweek, Shipnuck said: “I have no ill will toward Phil. I just wanted to ask him one boring golf question, which is my job. “The security guards were inappropriately aggressive and physical, considering I was just standing there trying to make sense of the bizarre reasons they were citing for wanting to remove me,” Shipnuck said. This incident comes two days after Associated Press reporter Rob Harris was cut off, removed from the LIV media center and reprimanded by LIV officials for not being “polite.” Harris was allowed back into the media center about 10 minutes later, according to ESPN. (Greg Norman? MBS? Al Capone?) Never a dull moment up in here."

How have players like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson performed in the new league's inaugural event?

T24. Kevin Na +3 T24. JC Ritchie +3 T24. Kevin Yuan +3 T24. Jinichiro Kozuma +3 T24. Oliver Fisher +3 T24. Jediah Morgan +3 T24. Ryosuke Kinoshita +3 T24. Ratchanon Chantananuwat +3 Players who take part in future LIV Golf events will face the same punishment. T24. Richard Bland +3 Schwartzel took the lead Thursday after posting a 5-under 65, with Du Plessis 1 shot back at 4 under. Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis, both from South Africa, lead the field after the first round.

Golf fans have now had a chance to watch LIV Golf, and they might be confused about the new league's format. The Sporting News looks at how it compares to ...

The golfer who wins the individual portion of the LIV Golf London tournament will pocket $4 million, while the last-place finisher will earn $120,000. Of that, $20 million will be split among the 48 golfers in the individual portion of the tournament. At LIV Golf, golfers are guaranteed a share of the purse just by entering. It is simple stroke play through 54 holes for LIV and 72 on the PGA Tour, with the golfer with the lowest score after the completion of the tournament being named the winner. The shotgun format reduces the amount of time a round will last, but it is more conducive to a smaller field. Perhaps the first thing fans will notice just by looking at the LIV Golf schedule is that there are only three rounds.

Golf fans have now had a chance to watch LIV Golf, and they might be confused about the new league's format. The Sporting News looks at how it compares to ...

The golfer who wins the individual portion of the LIV Golf London tournament will pocket $4 million, while the last-place finisher will earn $120,000. Of that, $20 million will be split among the 48 golfers in the individual portion of the tournament. At LIV Golf, golfers are guaranteed a share of the purse just by entering. It is simple stroke play through 54 holes for LIV and 72 on the PGA Tour, with the golfer with the lowest score after the completion of the tournament being named the winner. The shotgun format reduces the amount of time a round will last, but it is more conducive to a smaller field. Perhaps the first thing fans will notice just by looking at the LIV Golf schedule is that there are only three rounds.

A look at what officials are saying (or not saying) about the status of golfers who are no longer PGA Tour members playing in major tournaments.

To compete in the PGA Championship, golfers must be part of a recognized tour. However, the R&A did decide in December not to grant a spot in the Open to the winner of the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. That move came just a few months after the LIV group announced a multimillion dollar investment in the Asian Tour. “We pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world and the players who have earned the right to compete in this year’s championship, both via exemption and qualifying, will have the opportunity to do so. Once the U.S. Open concludes, the focus will turn to the final major of the 2022 calendar year, the 150th British Open at St. Andrews, Scotland. The U.S. Open is set to begin one week after the inaugural LIV Golf event outside London. As several prominent players announced their intentions to compete in the Saudi-backed circuit, the United States Golf Association remained silent. The USGA, for example, has already said Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and others will be allowed to compete in next week's U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from the first day of LIV Golf's London event, including the performance of both Dustin ...

He ends up carding a double-bogey on a Par 4 and will go from 1 under to 1 over for the tournament. 11:00 a.m. — Shaun Norris had a nice chip-in from off the green to get to 1 under par for the tournament. 9:57 a.m. — Dustin Johnson had a long par putt on the third hole and was unable to make it. 9:21 a.m. — Lee Westwood is the first player to log a score. 11:30 a.m. — Speaking of Vincent, he just hit a beautiful shot out of some thick rough and got the ball on the green. 11:10 a.m. — Kevin Yuan had a beautiful shot off the tee at a Par 3. He notches a double bogey on the Par 4 ninth which seems to be the toughest on the course. 12:19 p.m. — Phil Mickelson hasn't had his best day with the putter, but he just made a birdie to get to 1 over par. Still, he battled to get under par late and is positioned to make a run toward the top of the leaderboard on Friday and Saturday. He made a birdie to get to minus two after hitting one of the easiest eagles of the day earlier on. He is looking to get under par before the first day of action closes. 1:24 p.m. — Khongwatmai is still at 4 under par with a hole and a half to go.

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from the second day of LIV Golf's London event, including the performance of both Dustin ...

The Sporting News is tracking Round 2 of the LIV Golf London event. Teams for LIV Golf events are drafted each week by tour-selected captains. 8:54 a.m. — LIV Golf is getting ready to begin the second day of its inaugural tournament. LIV is promoting itself through accessibility. They carded a 9 under par score in Round 1, thanks to Charl Schwartzel's 5 under par and Hennie Du Plessis' 4 under. At a typical PGA Tour event, the second day of a tournament would be cut day.

The legendary Fox Sports executive sat before me virtually in his beautiful Los Angeles home. He wore a white linen shirt and a wry smile, his voice carrying ...

But the bigger problem, the one that will be hardest to fix, is also the simplest: After six months of promising innovation, LIV Golf’s first broadcast was decidedly normal. In many ways, Thursday served as a tryout for LIV Golf’s broadcast team, which is headed by Steve Beim, former U.S. Open and “The Match” producer. Instead, the first LIV Golf Invitational series round was blasted out to the world on YouTube, Facebook and the LIV Golf website … for free. On Thursday, LIV went live for the first time, presenting its vision for golf’s future in a neon-tinted shade of lime green. He had just accepted a new role as a broadcast consultant for his good friend Greg Norman at LIV Golf, and it was his job to bring golf broadcasting into the 21st century. “The LIV Golf broadcast will be unlike anything fans have seen before,” Will Staeger, LIV’s chief media officer, said in a release announcing the new product.

LIV Golf tee times and pairings - round 2 · Hole 1: Scott Vincent, Hennie Du Plessis, Charl Schwartzel · Hole 2: Justin Harding, Branden Grace, Phachara ...

- Hole 7: Kevin Na, Shaun Norris, JC Ritchie - Hole 6: Jinichiro Kozuma, Kevin Yuan, Oliver Fisher Almost immediately, LIV responded by calling the PGA Tour's move "vindictive" and said it is "certainly not the last word on the topic."

The new golf tour began on Thursday in London, with fans arriving at the Centurion Club to witness some of the sport's biggest names playing in the inaugural ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." When contacted by CNN, it said it had "no comment to make" on the LIV Golf series. However, the new, big-money tour offers a significant earning opportunity for players around the globe, in particular the up-and-coming talent. "It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing. But for six-time major winner Mickelson, who has already earned lifetime status on the PGA Tour, it throws into question his long-term commitment to the tour. On Tuesday, captains selected the rest of their teams in a draft format akin to the NFL and NBA drafts. Among the headliners in Toronto will be world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. in the biggest mass execution in decades. Defending his title in Canada will be Rory McIlroy, the world No. 8. The PIF has pledged to award $250 million in total prize money. I don't think he's a bad dude. We're not politicians.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series got underway at The Centurion Club on Thursday, with many tuning in to watch and see how the event would go. Although a number ...

Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly and the PGA, he covers all aspects of the game, from Tour news to equipment testing and buyers’ guides. “We're in partnership with the Asian Tour, so we are in the process right now of the application to put our application in. Although a number of big names like Dustin Johnson (opens in new tab) and Phil Mickelson have decided to tee it up in Hertfordshire, there is still the question of whether the tournament has World Ranking points available.

Human rights groups have described the Saudi-funded LIV Golf as part of a broader campaign of "sportswashing." But what all does that entail?

Chadwick said that while the Saudis' investment in LIV Golf might not result in an immediate financial payoff, it is a play for both long-term profit and political capital. They invite prestige, and prestigious characters," said Dana Ahmed, a researcher at Amnesty International who specializes in Saudi Arabia. "So these kinds of events contribute to creating a new image for Saudi Arabia. They contribute to the country’s efforts in rebranding itself." "Sportswashing is one part of (the PR strategy)," Ahmed said. I do not answer to Saudi Arabia." It’s very important for people who can to speak out." "I don't know what the Saudi government does. But critics say the league is part of a broader political effort by Saudi Arabia to buy legitimacy and polish its global image. "Our knowledge as a global community of this apparent phenomenon is relatively immature," he said. A U.S. intelligence report determined the country's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, signed off on the operation. " ... By associating themselves with sport, leaders are seeking to position their country in line with that magic. Perhaps the clearest examples of this, human rights activists say, are instances in which countries host major international sporting events. Human rights groups say LIV Golf is just the latest example.

After months of speculation, the opening tournament got underway yesterday at Centurion Club in St Albans but was met by confirmation from the PGA Tour that ...

In terms of scoring, the best two individual scores will count towards the team’s overall total across the opening two rounds, with the best three scores combining on the third and final round. LIV Golf Series events will be played over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes. There will also be individual and team competitions within the same event. Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams. McIlroy: “All he (PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan) is doing is basically going by the book. I have played all over the world for 25 years. After months of speculation, the opening tournament got underway yesterday at Centurion Club in St Albans but was met by confirmation from the PGA Tour that rebel players who participate in the event have been suspended with immediate effect. On the course, the scoring was led by the former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel after an opening round of 65. “I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia are among other big names competing in the inaugural event. “I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. “It makes no sense,” Poulter said.

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from the second day of LIV Golf's London event, including the performance of both Dustin ...

The Sporting News is tracking Round 2 of the LIV Golf London event. Teams for LIV Golf events are drafted each week by tour-selected captains. 8:54 a.m. — LIV Golf is getting ready to begin the second day of its inaugural tournament. LIV is promoting itself through accessibility. At a typical PGA Tour event, the second day of a tournament would be cut day. However, both finished strong on Centurion's easier back nine to drop their scores to 1 under for the tournament.

Bold new project or crass money grab? Even golf's best players can't agree on the new Saudi-financed golf tour. Here's what you need to know.

And the streaming services that are luring those consumers away know that live sports is one of the best ways to get new customers, and keep old ones. But ESPN, CBS, NBC and Amazon are in the first year of a nine-year agreement that has them collectively paying hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the PGA Tour to show tournaments. With rare exceptions, PGA Tour events generally consist of four-rounds of stroke play, in which players compete against one another to post the lowest score. With consumers continuing to slowly abandon pay television, live sports is just about the only type of programming that delivers large, and lucrative, audiences anymore. (Here’s a full list of non-U.S. options.) That doesn’t mean you can’t watch in the United States, though: This week’s tournament will be available via live streams on LIVGolf.com, YouTube and Facebook. The LIV Golf individual competition will feel, in many ways, like a traditional golf event: three rounds, lowest score wins. It said the suspensions also applied to any PGA Tour affiliates — circuits like the lower-tier Korn Ferry Tour, tours in Canada and Latin America and, notably for the older players who joined the LIV series, the PGA Tour Champions series for golfers over 50. Phil Mickelson is being paid a reported $200 million to take part, and Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player to sign up-to-date, is said to have been tempted by an offer worth $150 million. The winner’s share this week is $4 million, and the last-place finisher at each event is guaranteed $120,000. Sergio García, the Spanish player who had renounced his tour membership when he joined the LIV Golf Series, essentially said he didn’t care what the PGA Tour did. Ian Poulter insisted that he and the others in the field had not done anything wrong, and said he would appeal. The punishments were not a surprise: The PGA Tour had clearly signaled months ago that it would take action against any of its players who joined.

The rival tour made the announcement Friday, midway through the second round of its inaugural event at the Centurion Club outside London. The Telegraph first ...

He missed the cut last week in his return to competition at the Memorial Tournament. As a result, he has recorded just a single top-25 in six starts, ranks 219th in the FedExCup standings and has plummeted to 28th in the world ranking. He’s not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission of doing things differently to grow our game. “Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf’s supercharged style of play,” Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, said in a release announcing the move. The deal to sign DeChambeau was said to have come together quickly, over the course of a few days. He reiterated that stance just last week at the Memorial, when he told reporters that, for now, he was sticking with the PGA Tour. “For me, I personally don’t think that at this point in time I’m in a place in my career where I can risk things like that,” he said.

Bryson DeChambeau has joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series, giving the new circuit another former major winner in its roster of competitors.

DeChambeau lost sponsor Rocket Mortgage on Thursday because of his ties to LIV Golf. The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition in Portland [Oregon, site of the series' first U.S. event] and beyond." "Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf's supercharged style of play.

Here are the sights, sounds and leaders as the LIV London tournament continues Friday. Round 2 live Top 10 (three to play). 1. Charl Schwartzel -8 2. Hennie Du ...

Players who take part in future LIV Golf events will face the same punishment. Welcome— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) @b_dechambeau💪 #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/9zMvhrC84D June 10, 2022 Schwartzel took the lead Thursday after posting a 5-under 65, with du Plessis 1 shot back at 4 under. Catch him if you can 🏃♂️— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) @CA_Schwartzelfor -7 #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/rGMZDHnDi0 June 10, 2022 Bryson DeChambeau is the latest big name to choose to compete in the new LIV Golf series. Following the tee-off, the PGA Tour suspended the 17 members who are competing in the event.

HERTFORDSHIRE, England — Bryson DeChambeau is headed to the LIV Golf Invitational Series. In making official what was reported by SI.com/Morning Read and ...

LIV Golf pivoted to a series of eight tournaments this year with 10 scheduled for 2023 and the launch of the league in 2024. I'm just going to keep playing professional golf and enjoy it wherever it takes me, play with the best players in the world. Patrick Reed is also expected to be announced in the coming days. DeChambeau, who has eight PGA Tour victories, has mostly endured a lost 2022 as he has dealt with injuries, including a broken bone in his left hand that required surgery. The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition in Portland and beyond.” In addition to his eight Tour victories, DeChambeau has six runner-up finishes and 40 top-10 finishes since turning pro in 2015.

For nearly a century, the PGA has been the place for the world's best golfers to showcase their skills. Now a new Saudi-backed tour is trying to change that ...

"But you want to believe in this society. "I'm certainly aware of what happened with Jamal Khashoggi and I think it's terrible," Mickelson said. It is offering prize money of $25 million per tournament, dwarfing even the biggest purses on the PGA tour. They're here in Canada. They're here in Toronto," RBC Canadian Open tournament director Bryan Crawford told CBC. The expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners." "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you.