Dustin Johnson has resigned his membership of the PGA Tour to play the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series - which effectively rules him out of the Ryder Cup.
Johnson won all five of his matches in the United States' record 19-9 win over Europe at Whistling Straits last year, but it may prove to be his last appearance at the event. PGA of America chief executive Seth Waugh warned last year: "If someone wants to play on a Ryder Cup for the US, they're going to need to be a member of the PGA of America, and they get that membership through being a member of the (PGA) Tour."
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the inaugural LIV Golf event at Centurion Club near St Albans, which starts on Thursday, Johnson said: "The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and has definitely meant a lot to me. Hopefully I will get a chance to do that again, but I don't make the rules."
Graeme McDowell, former world No.1 Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter are also among the 48-man field for the £20million event at Centurion Club. Former US Open champion McDowell, who drained the winning Ryder Cup putt for Europe at Celtic Manor thr same year (2010), admitted he was getting involved in the LIV series for “business” reasons.
Tucked beside the M1, a leafy corner of Hertfordshire will be transformed into a Saudi satellite – give or take ridiculous temporary traffic lights causing traffic chaos a mile down the road – this week.
McDowell was at least honest about his motives for defecting to LIV, admitting: “We have played all round the world for 20 years chasing pay cheques. Trophies are great, but it's a business when you have been going for so long. It's a sacrifice we make - when you are away from your family for 30 to 35 weeks of the year, it has to be worth it.
Late on Monday night, six-times Major winner Phil Mickelson revealed he was making his comeback, as the final player in the 48-man field at Centurion, four months after his explosive comments about the Saudi-backed LIV events were published by his biographer. Mickelson lost multiple sponsors and suffered reputational damage branding the Saudi regime “scary mother*******” while seeking to use involvement with the series to gain leverage over the PGA Tour.
'Lefty' missed the US Masters for the first time in 28 years and he was also absent from last month's US PGA Championship, where he was due tee off as defending champion. Like most sportsmen, colossal amounts of money moderated his opinions and he said: "First and foremost, I want to again apologise to the many people I offended and hurt with my comments a few months ago.
"I have made mistakes in my career in some of the things I have said and done. Taking time away and self-reflecting has been very humbling." Mickelson also revealed he had been receiving treatment for addictive gambling – although he denied his involvement with the LIV series is due to financial difficulties caused by heavy betting losses.
He said: "My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it. And I've been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I'm at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time." Meanwhile, in an interview with the Washington Post, Norman said former world No.1 Tiger Woods had been offered a "mind-blowingly enormous" deal to join the LIV circus.
"We're talking about high nine digits," said the Greg White Shark. For the avoidance of doubt, the figure Norman was teasing is approaching $1 billion.
