Who are the LIV Invitational golfers competing at the BMW PGA Championship?
As LIV and PGA Tour golfers get ready to compete at the BMW PGA Championship, both sides are anticipating tension. Which LIV players will be there?
Another week, another awkward golf encounter.
As tension continues to rise between the PGA Tour players and the golfers who defected to the new Saudi-backed league, the Tour just doubled down on LIVers, forcing a no-going-back policy that proves no compromise is in store for the two leagues.
The PGA Tour is basically declaring war on LIV, making sure all players who have defected from the Tour are no longer eligible to renew their PGA Tour membership for next season.
Meanwhile, LIV is coming off its most significant week yet, as the fourth event of the year kicked off last weekend in Boston, with a new batch of players making their appearance.
World no. 2, Cameron Smith, was one of the defected players who debuted at the event, and has given LIV increased credibility after making the move to the controversial league.
Related: Scheffler remains world number one ahead of Smith
Now, the two leagues are in for an awkward treat as they meet at the BMW PGA Championship this week. LIV players were originally suspended from participating at Tour events, but the move was temporarily halted, allowing LIVers to participate at the DP World Tour.
LIV players participating at BMW PGA Championship
The likes of Abraham Ancer, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Kevin Na, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed and Lee Westwood will be the LIV pros in the field, while Rory McIlroy, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and Billy Horschel will be the PGA Tour players expected to show up.
Like a lot of people, Mcllroy and Fitzpatrick are anticipating tension in Wentworth. The two were vocal about their sentiments towards LIV and its players, saying how odd it will be to see some of their former teammates on the other side of the pond at the tournament.
Mcllroy “hates what LIV is doing”
“I hate what [LIV] is doing to the game of golf,” said Mcllroy in a press conference. “I hate it. I really do. Like, it’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.”
LIV’s Garcia, on the other hand, isn’t concerned with who’s tense about things. “I’m sure some guys will be tense about it [because] we’re going to go out there and play,” Sergio Garcia told reporters. “What I’m going to do is support the European Tour and that’s all I can do. Whoever doesn’t like it, too bad for them.”