Trump backs Charles Howell III, 43, who hasn’t won a tournament since 2018, and Jason Kokrak, 37, who won twice in 2021, as they jump from the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) to a Saudi-backed league that has been targeting top players. The two announced they are joining the LIV Golf Invitational Series. They are not the first to bail from the PGA, the two U.S. players join Henrik Stenson, 46, a two-time European Golfer of the Year who won the British Open in 2016.
The three golfers are to compete next week at the LIV event at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.
The Saudi- backed LIV Golf Invitational Series has lured top golfers like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau with hundreds of millions of dollars. Recently Former President Donald J Trump has jumped into the fray with his own comments about the golfers association.
“All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump wrote on social media. “If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were. Good luck to all, and congratulations to really talented Cam Smith on his incredible WIN!”
An Irish Golfer report says U.S. superstar Bubba Watson is set to join the league along with Australian Marc Leishman.
Numerous PGA members have announced, in the recent weeks, that they will also be switching to from the PGA to join LIV. Among those leaving are Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Andy Ogletree, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, and Turk Petit.
The PGA was prompted by the mass exodus to take serious action.
“We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” a PGA said in a statement released last month. “The players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.”
“The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations,” the PGA added.
