LIV Golf hosts its second event this week as the Saudi-backed breakaway series gathers momentum, with a number of new players announced since it made its debut at Centurion Club just outside London earlier this month.
Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are among the high-profile players to have recently defected from the PGA Tour, joining the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have attempted to come down hard on rebel players, issuing suspensions and fines, but the latest signings of Matthew Wolff and Carlos Ortiz have shown that the eye-watering sums on offer are proving hard to resist.
Charl Schwartzel won the maiden event in Hemel Hempstead and claimed £3.85m and a total prize pot of £20m will be up for grabs once again at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon.
Here is everything you need to know:
What is LIV Golf?
LIV Golf is a controversial breakaway series of golf events fronted by two-time major champion Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Originally imagined as a league, it has instead been launched this year as a series of eight invitational events, each featuring 48 players in a shotgun start. The tournaments are over 54 holes and don’t have a cut. The golfers who’ve defected from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to join LIV Golf have faced criticism from human rights groups and a coalition of 9/11 survivors.
When is the Portland event?
The 54-hole tournament will begin on Thursday 30 June at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, with the winning player and team decided on Saturday 2 July.
Who is in the field?
- Abraham Ancer – Mexico
- Richard Bland – England
- Itthipat Buranatanyarat – Thailand
- Laurie Canter – England
- Eugenio Chacarra – Spain
- Bryson DeChambeau – USA
- Hennie Du Plessis – South Africa
- Sergio Garcia – Spain
- Talor Gooch – USA
- Branden Grace – South Africa
- Justin Harding – South Africa
- Sam Horsfield – England
- Yuki Inamori – Japan
- Dustin Johnson – USA
- Matt Jones – Australia
- Sadom Kaewkanjana – Thailand
- Martin Kaymer – Germany
- Phacara Khongwatmai – Japan
- Sihwan Kim – USA
- Ryosyke Kinoshita – Japan
- Brooks Koepka – USA
- Chase Koepka – USA
- Jinichiro Kozuma – Japan
- Graeme McDowell – Northern Ireland
- Phil Mickelson – USA
- Jediah Morgan – Australia
- Kevin Na – USA
- Shaun Norris – South Africa
- Louis Ooosthuizen – South Africa
- Wade Ormsby – Australia
- Carlos Ortiz – Mexico
- Adrian Otaegui – Spain
- Pat Perez – USA
- Turk Pettit – USA
- James Piot – USA
- Ian Poulter – England
- Patrick Reed – USA
- Charl Schwartzel – South Africa
- Travis Smyth – Australia
- Ian Snyman – South Africa
- Hudson Swafford – USA
- Hideto Tanihara – Japan
- Peter Uihlein – USA
- Scott Vincent – Zimbabwe
- Matt Wolff – USA
- Lee Westwood – England
- Bernd Wiesberger – Austria
- Blade Windred – Australia
Who are the team captains?
- Louis Oosthuizen - Stinger GC
- Bryson DeChambeau - Crushers GC
- Lee Westwood - Majesticks GC
- Hideto Tinihara - Torque GC
- Dustin Johnson - 4 Aces GC
- Martin Kaymer - Cleeks GC
- Wade Ormsby - Punch GC
- Graeme McDowell - Niblicks GC
- Brooks Koepka - Smash GC
- Phil Mickelson - Hyflyers GC
- Sergio Garcia - Fireballs GC
- Kevin Na - Iron Heads GC
What is the prize money breakdown?
The first seven events feature a prize pool of £20m, with the individual winner claiming £3.2m. The prize money reduces in accordance with a player’s finish, but last is still guaranteed £96,000.
