LIV Golf is set to strike a double blow to the PGA Tour with two more players expected to follow Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters in joining the Saudi-funded venture.
It has already been widely reported that the Belgian star, a member of the DP World Tour, is set to be unveiled by Greg Norman on Monday. That’s despite the 31-year-old being in contention to play for Team Europe in Rome in September, having recorded four points as a rookie in the 2016 event.
However, he was left irate at not being included in the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles this week, one of the PGA Tour’s ‘elevated’ events. Reacting to the news, he tweeted: “Sad to miss my favourite tournament of the year. Because well as #34 in the world, I just couldn’t get in.”
But it seems he won’t be the only new name confirmed ahead of LIV’s opening event in Mexico from February 26-28. According to ESPN, PGA Tour winners Danny Lee and Brendan Steele have also accepted big money offers to defect.
American player Steele, 39, has won three times on the PGA Tour, but his last triumph came at the Safeway Open back in 2017. Ranked 122 in the world, unlike Pieters he was offered a spot at the Genesis Invitational but withdrew 48 hours beforehand for personal reasons.
Lee did play at the Riviera Country Club but missed the cut after being three over par for his first two rounds. The world No 259, has one PGA Tour win to his name, the 2015 Greebrier Classic.
Source: Irish Mirror
