LIV Golf is set to give Australia three big tournaments next year as it looks to establish a foothold Down Under via its $US300 million partnership with the Asian Tour.
Sources have told Australian Golf Digest the start-up series has made plans to bring two International Series events – a lucrative miniseries within the Asian Tour – to Australia in addition to the LIV Golf League event in Sydney in April. It means LIV Golf recruits – such as multiple Major champions Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson – will have opportunities to play in more than one event while in Australia.
LIV Golf, whose chief executive is Australian Greg Norman, last year partnered with the Asian Tour. The Asian Tour created the 10-tournament International Series and ensured there were qualifying spots into the top flight of LIV Golf’s $US25 million events.
The dates and locations of the two International Series tournaments here are not yet known, but it is believed they will provide extra incentive for Australian players to join the circuit. The lure for those golfers would be to have several tournaments to play in their homeland in addition to the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship, which are both sanctioned by the DP World (European) Tour.
While the LIV Golf League event in Sydney in April will feature 48 of the world’s best players playing in 12 franchised teams, the International Series would comprise of a mixture of Asian Tour regulars, many of whom are Australian golfers, and some LIV Golf stars. A press release last month stated big-name LIV players would be contracted to “compete in numerous International Series tournaments” in 2023.
Last month, LIV Golf named Australia as one of the countries in its plans for expansion next year. That was done through an announcement that revealed an increase from eight to 14 tournaments, and a name change from “LIV Golf Invitational Series” to “LIV Golf League” in 2023.
“The full slate of events will be announced at a later date and is expected to expand LIV Golf’s global footprint across North and Latin Americas, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe,” LIV Golf wrote in the release.
LIV Golf – which is majority-funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund – said it would increase total prizemoney by $US180 million to $US405 million. Its portfolio of tournaments worldwide will be at least 25 next year.
The development comes as speculation grows that world No.2 Cameron Smith and his fellow Australian Marc Leishman are set to join the rival tour.
London’s The Telegraph reported newly-crowned Open champion Smith and Leishman had signed on with LIV Golf and that Norman wanted them as part of another all-Australian team – in addition to an existing one featuring Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby.
However, PGA Tour player Smith declined to comment on the rumours on Tuesday. As No.2 on the FedEx Cup standings, Smith said chasing that title was his focus. The FedEx Cup concludes later this month at the Tour Championship, where the FedEx Cup champion will receive an $US18 million prize.
“I have no comment to that; I like I said, I’m here to play the FedEx Cup Playoffs,” Smith said on Tuesday at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis. “That’s been my focus for the past week-and-a-half. That’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs.”
