Dustin Johnson heads field for US$25m Saudi-backed LIV Golf opener

LONDON: Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson will head the field for the inaugural US$25 million LIV Golf Invitational Series event in England next week, the Saudi-backed golf circuit said on Wednesday (Jun 1).

The American two-time major champion said in February that he would stay loyal to the US PGA Tour, but in an apparent U-turn Johnson was one of two top-20 ranked players listed in the field on the LIV Golf website for the 54-hole tournament starting on Jun 9.

The US PGA Tour has refused to grant releases for its players in the LIV event, which clashes with next week's Canadian Open.

The LIV tournament at Centurion Club at St Albans, north of London, will have the largest purse in golf history at US$25 million, almost double that of any major, with US$4 million going to the winner.

Former British Open champion and world No 20 Louis Oosthuizen, former Masters champions Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia, plus former US Open champions Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer are also in the field.

Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson's name was absent from the money-spinning event despite his previous support for the upstart series.

Mickelson, who became golf's oldest major champion when he won last year's US PGA Championship at age 50, withdrew from defending his crown last month and hasn't played since his controversial comments about LIV Golf.

He called the venture's Saudi backers "scary" with a "horrible record on human rights", but said he was willing to work with them for money leverage over the US PGA Tour.

There were 42 players listed in the 48-player Centurion field, which will be completed with players who qualify via an Asian Tour-sanctioned International Series tournament beginning on Thursday in London.

Former world No 1