Kevin Na is the first, but he likely won’t be the last.
Na, a 19-year veteran of the PGA Tour, announced Saturday that he has resigned from the tour to instead play in the startup LIV Golf Invitational Series. Na was one of about a dozen well-known PGA Tour golfers who were listed by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman as expected participants in the tour’s inaugural event on June 9. But he is the only one so far who has publicly resigned from the PGA Tour.
Na, 38, wrote in a statement that he is resigning from the PGA Tour to prevent any potential discipline or legal action from the tour — steps that tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has threatened to take for golfers who play in LIV Golf events. Na is the 33rd ranked player in the world and is a five-time winner on the tour.
“I would like the freedom to play wherever I want and exercising my right as a free agent gives me that opportunity,” Na wrote. “However, to remain a PGA Tour player, I must give up my right to make these choices about my career. If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot remain a PGA Tour player without facing disciplinary proceedings and legal action from the PGA Tour.
This was a very difficult decision for me. I hope my fans will continue to support me wherever I choose to play. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/3Vp2e7cPfH
— Kevin Na (@kevinna915) June 4, 2022
“I am sad to share that I have chosen to resign from the PGA Tour. This has not been an easy decision and not one taken lightly. I hope the current policies change and I’ll be able to play on the PGA Tour again.”
According to ESPN, Monahan met with several golf agents Wednesday, telling them that their players will not be able to play on both tours. In the past, Monahan has threatened lifetime bans for players who join the LIV Golf tour.
“As communicated to our entire membership on May 10, PGA Tour members have not been authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event, under PGA Tour Tournament Regulations,” the PGA Tour said in a statement Wednesday. “Members who violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action.”
While Na is the first player to ditch the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, he isn’t the most surprising tour professional expected to play in the first event of the Saudi Arabia-backed series this week. Dustin Johnson, a two-time major champion, is one of 13 PGA Tour players who are on the list of players for LIV Golf’s kickoff event at London’s Centurion Club. After Johnson’s agent confirmed he was playing in the event, the No. 13-ranked player in the world was dropped by sponsor Royal Bank of Canada, as was fellow golfer Graeme McDowell.
“Dustin has been contemplating the opportunity off-and-on for the past couple of years,” Johnson’s agent told The Action Network. “Ultimately, he decided it was in his and his family’s best interest to pursue it. Dustin has never had any issue with the PGA Tour and is grateful for all it has given him, but in the end, felt this was too compelling to pass up.”
Other PGA Tour players set to compete at Centurion include Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Talor Gooch, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer. One notable name not on the list is Phil Mickelson, whose comments earlier this year about the tour caused controversy. Lefty had expressed interest in playing on the new tour, but he was widely criticized for saying he was willing to overlook Saudi Arabia’s human rights concerns to gain “leverage” over the PGA Tour.
The purse for the opener at Centurion is a staggering $25 million. The overall purse for the eight-event series is $255 million. Other events on the LIV Golf tour will take place in New Jersey (at former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster club), Oregon, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok and Saudi Arabia.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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