[ad_1]
The Saudi-backed rebel golf circuit is poised to reveal the “marquee names” who have signed up to the $225m tour.
Greg Norman, the two-time major champion who is chief executive of LIV Golf, the entity overseeing the tour, told Telegraph Sport that players including a two-time major winner have been in talks over joining. Norman also claimed that the release of controversial comments by Phil Mickelson concerning Saudi Arabia was part of a conspiracy to derail the venture.
According to LIV Golf, the final details are being confirmed but they “hope to announce some of the players in the coming weeks”. These are thought to include Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Kevin Na.
The eight-tournament series – that Norman is keen to stress “is not called the Saudi Super Golf League” – is due to tee off in two months’ time at the Centurion Club in St Albans, and the Australian insists the venture will not be stopped.
“We’ve respected the Masters and let it go off, but now our journey is finally coming to fruition – for the players not for me,” he said. “Their rightful place to have what they want. That’s why they are still very, very, very interested. We have players signed, contrary to the white noise you’re hearing out there.
“The interest level we’ve had… well, I had a player who’s won a couple of major championships sitting in my very office here 48 hours ago.”
It will be, quite easily, the richest golf tournament ever held in Europe with a $25m purse for a 48-man field that will feature competition for individual as well team honours.
“Quite honestly, it doesn’t matter who plays, we’re going to put the event on,” he said. “There’s a $4m first prize. I hope a kid who’s 350th in the world wins. It’ll change his life, his family’s life. And then a few of our events will go by and the top players will see someone winning $6m, $8m, and say ‘enough is enough, I know I can beat these guys week in week out…
[ad_2]
Source : yahoo
