The PGA Tour has suspended all of its members who are playing in this week’s Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational.
The tournament, being held at Centurion Club near London, is the most lucrative in the history of the game with a $25m (£20m) prize fund.
Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson is among the biggest names to be affected.
LIV Golf issued an immediate reply calling the PGA Tour “vindictive” and said this “deepens the divide between the Tour and its members”.
The statement added: “It’s troubling that the Tour, an organisation dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.
“This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.”
The PGA Tour released its statement 30 minutes after play had begun at Centurion, where 48 players are competing in the first of eight planned LIV Golf invitational events.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, who are both playing at the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open this week, welcomed the ruling.
“Anybody that’s shocked clearly hasn’t been listening,” two-time major winner Thomas said.
“They took that risk going into it, whether they thought it was a risk or not.
“I have great belief and great confidence in the PGA Tour and where we’re going and continuing to grow to, and those guys just aren’t going to be a part of it.”
Thomas added: “They’re obviously throwing so much money at people that it’s very hard to turn down.
Source-BBC
