In an announcement this morning, LIV Golf Investments and the Asian Tour has unveiled details of the “International Series” for 2022/2023, which features ten tournaments across Asia and Europe. One of those events is to be held at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire in June.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, is the majority shareholder of LIV Golf Investments and has pledged a staggering $300m to the new series. The event at the Centurion Club is said to be held the week prior to the US Open, which may well cause disruption to normal major championship preparations.
The announcement of the International Series adds to ongoing rumours that LIV Golf Investments are pioneering a Saudi-backed “Super League” that is headhunting the world’s top players. A source has revealed the new league is linked to the recent $300m partnership with the Asian Tour, and that Greg Norman is to be its Chairman.
The DP World and PGA Tours strongly opposed plans for its members to take part in this week’s Saudi International. The DP World Tour ultimately granted a number of its members permission to play in what it described as a “not precedent setting” decision. The PGA Tour granted permission but imposed specific conditions on its members. Now with the introduction of 'The International Series' and the ongoing speculation of the 'Super League', we can expect more contention between the Tours.
Many of the world’s leading players have spoken publicly about their decision to support the Saudi-backed events and it may well be that they are forced to decide between the current setup or the new breakaway tour/events. The announcement comes as a host of the game’s biggest names are finalising their preparations in Jeddah, which includes the likes of defending champion Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.
The Centurion Club in Hertfordshire hosted the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and the Rose Ladies Series in 2021.
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