Dustin jumps on Saudi gravy train
Dustin Johnson was the surprise name on a predictably underwhelming list of 42 players for the inaugural saudi-backed LIV Golf series event at st Albans next week. the former world no 1 had pledged his loyalty to the PGA tour in February but clearly enough dollars were thrown his way to make switching allegiance worthwhile. Given that Bryson DeChambeau was offered £100million to sign up, it is reasonable to assume Johnson’s bonus is in the same ballpark. Phil Mickelson’s name was not on the list, although six more players are still to be revealed. More interesting will be what happens next to golf, as it heads towards the courts. Will the PGA tour carry out its threat to suspend members who play at the Centurion Club? Will the four majors then also ban those players, starting with the us open, which takes place the following week? Will the DP World tour go ahead with its own threat not to consider any LIV participant for the Ryder Cup captaincy? Given the 42 players include Lee Westwood, ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer and sergio Garcia, that is three certain captains you would be ruling out, plus two other serious contenders. official comments were thin on the ground yesterday as the various organisations plot their next move. Just 26 of the world’s top 150 have been lured to st Albans, despite massive signing-on bonuses and a prize fund twice as large as for any British event before. ‘Free agency has come to golf,’ trumpeted Greg norman, the face of the saudi project. ‘this is the opportunity to start a movement that will change the course of history.’