LIV Golf reports schedule of 14 events next year
The Saudi-funded LIV Golf series announced a 14-tournament schedule for next year with 12 established team franchises and a chance for players to either be promoted or relegated through its series of Asian Tour events.
Greg Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, said Wednesday in a news release that the full schedule would be released later and would include stops across the world.
The rival league of the PGA and European tours plays its third event this week at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey, the course owned by former President Donald Trump. The four additions to the 48-man roster of players are Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Jason Kokrak. The European tour stripped Stenson of his Ryder Cup captaincy for signing up with LIV Golf after pledging full support to the tour when he was selected as captain in March.
Along with the 48-man field, no-cut events worth $25 million in prize money, LIV Golf Investments has pumped $300 million into the Asian Tour for “International Series” events. While details on promotion and relegation were not announced, players could earn their way into the LIV Golf League through their performance in these Asian Tour events, while those who finish toward the bottom of LIV Golf events would be replaced.
The news release said LIV Golf League players are expected to compete in “numerous” International Series events, which would mean playing more than the 14 tournaments on the 2023 LIV Golf schedule. One appeal for players who have signed up, such as Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, was to play less.
LIV Golf said it would have 25 tournaments worldwide next year, which indicates a total of 11 events on the Asian Tour. There are four “International Series” events on the Asian Tour schedule this year. The news release said new Asian Tour stops would include the Americas and Europe. This year, the Asian Tour held an event in England a week before the LIV Golf Invitational debut outside London.
Norman said LIV Golf and the “International Series” would play for $405 million in prize money. With $25 million set aside for LIV Golf events, that would suggest International Series events would each have a $5 million purse.
The 12 four-man teams would stay the same throughout the year. Captains will be able to build their franchises to attract a fan following and sponsor interest. Howell and Casey are now on a team led by Bryson DeChambeau and they said he reached out to them a few months ago about joining LIV Golf.
Busch to miss NASCAR race at Indianapolis
Kurt Busch will miss Sunday's NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with concussion-like symptoms and be replaced again by Ty Gibbs for 23XI Racing.
The team said Busch has not been cleared to race for a second consecutive week. He crashed in qualifying last Saturday at Pocono Raceway and missed the next day's race.
Gibbs, 19, the grandson of NFL and NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, made his Cup debut last weekend as Busch's replacement in the No. 45. He finished 16th.
• The fight over IndyCar champion Alex Palou is headed to court as Chip Ganassi Racing filed a civil lawsuit in Indiana against the Spanish driver who is attempting to leave the team at the end of the season.
Palou is in his second season driving for Ganassi. The team owner said he picked up the exclusive option he held on Palou for the 2023 season. Palou, meanwhile, says he informed CGR he does not intend to return for a third season, and McLaren Racing said it has signed the driver for next year.
The lawsuit filed in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis names both Palou and ALPA Racing, which is listed as Palou's “racing entity” as defendants.
McLaren Racing head Zak Brown has repeatedly told The Associated Press that he signed Palou under the representation that Palou is a free agent.
Harden takes paycut in 2-year deal with 76ers
James Harden decided to grow his beard and shear his annual salary in Philadelphia. Harden signed a deal worth slightly more than $68 million, paying him about $33 million this season with a $35 million player option for the 2023-24 season. Harden, though, will make about $14.5 million less this coming season than he could have earned under his previous deal. Harden had a $47.4 million option for this coming season that he declined last month, saying he wanted to give the 76ers flexibility to improve their roster and compete for a championship.
• The Phoenix Suns officially agreed to a multi-year contract extension for Monty Williams, the NBA's coach of the year last season after leading the franchise to a team-record 64 wins in the regular season. No other contract details were given by the Suns.
Williams, 50, has led a quick turnaround in three seasons with the Suns, taking them to the NBA Finals in 2021, when they lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the first time the franchise had been to the Finals since 1993. They were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, but fell in the second round to the Dallas Mavericks.
Unraced colt dies after Los Alamitos accident
An unraced 2-year-old colt trained by Bob Baffert was euthanized after an accident at Los Alamitos, becoming the 10th horse to die at the track this year.
Officials at the track in Cypress said Rapacious had completed his morning workout Tuesday when he reared up twice as he was about to exit the track. The colt lost his balance and fell on his back. The exercise rider wasn't hurt.
After being examined by veterinarians, the colt was euthanized because of his back injury, track officials said.
Felix selected, joins IOC athletes' commission
American sprint great Allyson Felix was among the six who joined the International Olympic Committee's athletes' commission.
6 Furlongs. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $80,000. Purse $84,000.