Though 'everybody's entitled to do what they want,' Justin Thomas hopes PGA Tour's decision to deny releases for London event prevents players from going

McKINNEY, Texas — With players facing potential suspensions and/or lifetime bans, Justin Thomas hopes the PGA Tour's decision to deny conflicting-events releases for the first event of the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series will prevent players from going to London next month.

«I would hope it would deter them from going over there,» Thomas said Wednesday, during a news conference ahead of this week's AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch.

«I think (PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan) made it very clear from the start of what would happen. I think a lot of people are probably like, 'I can't believe you did this,' or, 'Wow, you went through with it.' But this is what he said was going to happen all along. And, yeah, it's one of those things to where he just doesn't want the competing tour, the back and forth.»

On Tuesday, the PGA Tour sent a memo to players, in which it denied a release for anyone who wanted to compete in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event, scheduled for June 9-11 at Centurion Club outside London. The tournament conflicts with the RBC Canadian Open, which will be played that week in Ontario.

Because of the conflicting event, any PGA Tour player would need a release from the PGA Tour to play in London. Those who competed in London without one would face discipline.

Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood are among the players who requested a release.

«It's like, 'Look, if you want to go, go,'» Thomas said. «There's been plenty of guys that have been advocates of it and have just talked it up all the time, and there have been guys behind the scenes that are saying, 'I'm going, I'm doing this.' And like my whole thing is, like, just go then.

»Like, stop going back and forth or like