The LIV Golf Invitational Series revealed most of the 48-man field for its third event later this month in Bedminster, N.J., with three spots reserved for players to be named later.
England’s Paul Casey will make his LIV debut after joining the Saudi-funded tour earlier this month. The field also includes Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer playing in their second events since joining.
Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Englishmen Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will make their third straight appearances since the controversial circuit debuted last month outside London.
South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace won the first two tournaments of the inaugural LIV season at London and Portland, Ore., respectively. Both men will be in the field in New Jersey.
The speculation will turn to which three players will fill out the vacant spots in the field. One could be reserved for Henrik Stenson, the Swede who reportedly is surrendering his 2023 Ryder Cup captaincy in order to join LIV. An official announcement has yet to be made regarding Stenson’s status.
When asked about LIV after winning The Open Championship on Sunday, Australia’s Cameron Smith expressed frustration but did not deny that he could switch allegiances from the PGA Tour.
“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not that good,” Smith said. “I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”
Smith would be the biggest coup yet for LIV in terms of world ranking. Smith moved to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking by winning The Open. (Players currently do not earn OWGR points for playing in LIV tournaments.)
Sky Sports reported that a rumor linking England’s Tommy Fleetwood to LIV Golf was untrue.
The LIV Golf Bedminster Invitational will be played July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, one of two events of the eight-tournament inaugural season to be hosted at a Donald Trump-owned property.
The former U.S. president is firmly on the side of LIV Golf in the ongoing fracturing of the golf world. He wrote Tuesday on his social media platform Truth Social that golfers ought to “take the money now” from LIV ahead of “the inevitable MERGER” between LIV and the PGA Tour.
–Field Level Media