LIV Golf hosts a primary occasion in Saudi Arabia, the nation backing the controversial breakaway tour that has cut up golf in 2022.
The insurgent golfers have descended on Jeddah for the penultimate occasion of the season earlier than the staff occasion finale.
The person factors race has concluded so far as a champion is anxious with two-time winner Dustin Johnson pocketing $18 million.
Regardless of principally being a non-factor on the course, even in a restricted 48-man subject, Phil Mickelson has created waves this week upon his return to the Kingdom following his “scary motherf***ers” feedback.
Mickelson now denies ever doing that interview with journalist Alan Shipnuck: “I’ll reiterate, I by no means did an interview with Alan Shipnuck, and I discover that my expertise with everyone related to LIV Golf has been nothing however extremely constructive, and I’ve nothing however the utmost respect for everyone that I’ve been concerned with.”
What’s LIV Golf?
Stories of a brand new breakaway league first emerged in 2019 however gathered tempo final 12 months as two-time Open champion Greg Norman turned the face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Collection as its chief govt.
With Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund financing the sequence, there’s a clear hyperlink to the Saudi Arabia authorities, whose file on human rights has been criticised by teams reminiscent of Amnesty Worldwide.
However what for a very long time was thought of to be a bargaining menace to the normal PGA and DP World Excursions and nothing extra, took form because the LIV Golf Collection, which additionally options new competitors guidelines and what event organisers say is an “thrilling” new format.
What are the principles?
LIV Golf Collection occasions can be performed over three days and 54 holes, somewhat than the normal four-day occasions with 72 holes. There gained’t be a lower, both, so the 48 gamers who begin the week will play all three rounds.
There may even be particular person and staff competitions inside the similar occasion. The person competitors can be gained by the participant who shoots the bottom rating over 54 holes, as regular.
The staff competitors, nonetheless, can be made up of 12 groups of 4 gamers, with staff captains choosing the groups utilizing a ‘snake draft’ forward of every occasion. Groups may even have their very own distinctive names and logos.
When it comes to scoring, the perfect two particular person scores will rely in the direction of the staff’s total complete throughout the opening two rounds, with the perfect three scores combining on the third and closing spherical. The staff with the bottom total rating on the finish of the third spherical would be the winner.
How will the season work and the place is the subsequent occasion?
Jeddah would be the seventh of the seven ‘common’ occasions this 12 months with the staff championship forming the ultimate occasion of the season at Doral in Miami in October.
The staff championship will see all 12 groups seeded and a four-day knockout event can be performed utilizing match play scoring to find out the winner, with a championship match happening on the ultimate day.
Dustin Johnson was topped as the person champion for factors collected over the ‘common season’ occasions.
When is the Jeddah occasion?
The 54-hole event will start on Friday 14 October and run via to Sunday 16 October. The primary spherical begins at 10:00am BST) at Royal Greens Golf & Nation Membership within the King Abdullah Financial Metropolis, Saudi Arabia.
Who’s taking part in?
The most important names initially included Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel and Kevin Na. Nonetheless, after its first occasion, LIV Golf added main champions Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed to its ranks, earlier than tempting 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson throughout forward of Bedminster – at which level the Swede was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy. Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann have been the headline names from the ultimate spherical of recruitment for this season and make their second appearances in Chicago.
What are the groups and who’s within the subject?
4 Aces
Dustin Johnson
Pat Perez, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch
Cleeks
Martin Kaymer
Graeme McDowell, Richard Bland, Laurie Canter
Crushers
Bryson DeChambeau
Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri
Fireballs
Sergio Garcia
Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra
Hy Flyers
Phil Mickelson
Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Tringale
Iron Heads
Kevin Na
Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phacara Khongwatmai, Sihwan Kim
Majesticks
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter, Sam Horsfield, Henrik Stenson
Niblicks
Bubba Watson (non-playing)
Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford, James Piot, Turk Petit
Punch
Cameron Smith
Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby
Smash
Brooks Koepka
Jason Kokrak, Peter Uihlein, Chase Koepka
Stinger
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Shaun Norris
Torque
Joaquin Niemann
Scott Vincent, Hideto Tanihara, Jediah Morgan
Is it on TV?
LIV Golf has but to be picked up by a significant broadcaster within the UK.
Nonetheless, the motion is dwell streamed without cost on the LIV Golf YouTube channel and Fb web page.
How a lot is the prize cash?
Every common season occasion may have a prize fund of $25m – each participant within the subject receives a lower, with a assured $4m for first and $120,000 for final place. Of the $25m, $5m can be cut up between the highest three groups.
The highest three gamers within the total particular person championship will obtain a cut up of $30m, with the general champion taking $18m, the runner-up receiving $8m and third place getting $4m.
The season-ending staff championship has a prize fund of $50m, with the profitable staff splitting $16m and the staff who finishes final receiving $1m. Every participant receives a 25 per cent lower.
By comparability, the winner of the PGA Championship, one among golf’s 4 majors, receives $3m out of a complete prize fund of $15m.
Particular person prize cash
Workforce prize cash
Common season standings
1
Dustin Johnson
121
2
Branden Grace
79
3
Patrick Reed
76
4
Cameron Smith
56
5
Charl Schwartzel
55
6
Carlos Ortiz
50
7
Matthew Wolff
50
8
Peter Uihlein
49
9
Louis Oosthuizen
49
10
Talor Gooch
49
11
Sergio Garcia
44
12
Joaquin Niemann
42
13
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra
41
14
Henrik Stenson
40
15
Paul Casey
40
Common season staff standings
1
4 Aces
140
2
Crushers
80
3
Stinger
72
4
Fireballs
69
5
Majesticks
59
6
Torque
34
7
Iron Heads
32
8
Smash
30
9
Hy Flyers
29
10
Cleeks
20
11
Punch
16
12
Niblicks
13
A bye for the highest 4 groups is out there for Day 1 of the Workforce Championship at Trump Nationwide Doral.