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The LIV Invitational series will launch at the Centurion Club
near London the week before the U.S. Open in June, while the
Trump National Bedminster event will be played in late July.
Trump National had been scheduled to host the PGA Championship
in May, but the event was moved after the Jan. 6 attack on the
U.S. Capitol last year.
"The LIV Golf Invitational will (showcase) an innovative new
golf format, featuring individuals and teams competing for more
than $250,000,000 in prize purses," LIV Golf announced.
"The series will unfold over seven regular season events that
crown an individual champion and culminates in a team
championship match play event for $50,000,000."
LIV said the tournaments would comprise 48-man fields played
over 54 holes with no cut, with both an individual and four-man
team format.
They will utilise 'shotgun starts', in which every group tees
off at the same time from different holes.
It remains unclear whether many of the game's top players will
participate.
The U.S.-based PGA Tour has remained implacably opposed to the
Saudi-backed league, telling its members they would be banned if
they joined the fledgling tour.
LIV is inviting players to compete in as few events as they
want, rather than forcing them to commit to every event.
PGA Tour members generally need a "release" by the commissioner
to compete in conflicting events.
The question is whether commissioner Jay Monahan will be open to
granting releases to those who want to participate in only one
or a handful of LIV events.
The new series has taken a massive hit in recent weeks as a
number of the game's best players have pledged their allegiance
to the PGA Tour, including Irish four-times major winner Rory
McIlroy, who said it was "dead in the water".
Australia's Norman, a World Golf Hall of Fame member who counts
two British Open titles among his 20 PGA Tour wins, is
spearheading the circuit as CEO of LIV Golf Investments, which
is backed by the Saudi Investment Fund.
The LIV series' image has been tarnished by comments American
six-times major champion Phil Mickelson made about Saudi
Arabia's human rights record and using the league to gain
leverage over the PGA Tour.
Mickelson later apologised after his comments drew widespread
criticism and said he would take time away from golf to
"self-reflect".
SCHEDULE:
June 9-11 - Centurion Golf Club, London
July 1-3 - Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Oregon
July 29-31 - Trump National Bedminster, New Jersey
Sept. 2-4 - The International, Boston
Sept. 16-18 - Rich Harvest Farms, Chicago
Oct. 7-9 - Stonehill, Bangkok
Oct. 14-16 - Royal Greens, Jeddah
Oct. 28-30 - Team Championship at venue to be announced
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Additional
reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne;Editing by Toby Davis)
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