Dustin Johnson was offered around £100 million in a last-ditch swoop by Greg Norman to complete a shock about-turn and sign up to the Saudi-backed rebel golf league, Telegraph Sport understands.
The extraordinary signing-on fee was tabled amid Norman’s desperation to land a stellar name after Phil Mickelson, who has not been named on the initial 42-man entry list, suggested he was taking too much heat.
Former world No 1 Johnson has rocked the world of golf with his decision, but, according to insiders, he could now receive up to $150million (£119m) just for stating commitment to the series.
A record-breaking fee will more than compensate for the inevitable storm around him and an expected exodus of major sponsors linked to his commitments on the PGA Tour.
Three months after declaring he was “fully committed” to the PGA, Johnson’s sudden about-turn has left powerbrokers reeling. The 37-year-old, who won The Masters 18 months ago is among a 42-man field for next week’s LIV Golf Invitational, which offers $25million in prize money due to controversial backing from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Six more names are due to be added before the event begins, which could see Mickelson handed a late entry.
Telegraph Sport understands Norman, the organiser in chief and a friend of Johnson’s, had initially planned to announce the line up last Friday, but postponed due to last-minute negotiations with his star signing.
Johnson was previously billed to play in the RBC Canadian Open next week, as he has an endorsement deal with the Canadian bank as one of its ambassadors. The Canadian Open have already openly expressed dismay at his decision and it is now likely the RBC will be the first major brand to pull the plug on endorsements with Johnson.
The American is by some way the biggest drawcard ahead of the inaugural tournament from June 9 at the Centurion Club outside London. Englishmen Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland plus Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland are also in the 12-team field for the three-day event. Like Johnson, McDowell also has a lucrative sponsorship deal with RBC.
However, Mickelson, whose controversial remarks in February that the Saudi Arabians were “scary motherf——” led to Johnson and other players initially committing to the PGA, was missing from the list that was released on Tuesday night.
Both the PGA and European tours are understood to have denied releases for players so all of those involved risk punishment after the tournament begins. RBC said it was “extremely disappointed” that two-time Major winner Johnson has opted to skip the Canadian Open.
“We were recently made aware that Dustin Johnson made the decision to play the LIV Golf Invitational Series opener,” RBC said in a statement. “DJ has been a valued RBC Team member since 2018. While we are extremely disappointed in his decision, we wish him well.”
Johnson’s likely dropping by RBC comes after Louis Oosthuizen and Westwood lost their UPS deals. Mickelson has also lost several deals. Norman made the most of a close relationship with Johnson to finally persuade him to sign up.
The pair had become close allies since a chance meeting two years ago at The Grove XXIII, the golf club owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan in the superstar belt of Jupiter, South Florida.
The fashion brand Hugo Boss is also understood to have dropped the two-time major winner Martin Kaymer over his involvement in the breakaway.
Mickelson, 51, meanwhile, had been linked with the breakaway event for months but said in February he was taking a break from the game after apologising for making “reckless” comments.
Amnesty International has been among campaigners to express concern over Saudi involvement in LIV Gol, claiming it is a distraction from the nation’s poor human rights records.
But Norman, LIV Golf’s chief executive, says: “Free agency has finally come to golf. This is an opportunity to start a movement that will change the course of history by bringing new and open competition to the sport we all love.”
David Winkle, the agent of world number 13 Johnson, told the Golf Channel: “Dustin’s been contemplating this for the past two years and decided it was in his and his family’s best interest to pursue it. He’s never had any issue with the PGA Tour and is grateful for all it’s given him but in the end felt this was too compelling to pass up.”
Elsewhere, Jack Nicklaus, a winner of 18 majors and host of this week’s PGA Tour event – the Memorial Tournament – says he turned down a huge offer to front the new circuit – but said he had no interest in joining the rival circuit. “I did it [met organisers] out of courtesy to them because we’re doing a golf course for them,” Nicklaus said during a news conference at the Memorial. “I’ve got zero interest in wanting to do something like that. I don’t care what kind of money they would have thrown at me.”
Analysis: Breaking down the 42-player list for first LIV Golf event
By Daniel Zeqiri
Amateurs
Ratchanon Chantananuwat
James Piot
David Puig
Unlike PGA or DP World Tour tournaments, LIV Golf tournaments will offer amateurs the chance to take a cheque home at the end of the week. So perhaps it is no surprise that the likes of 2021 US Amateur champion James Piot are teeing it up.
Asian tour players
Sadom Kaewkanjana
Phachara Khongwatmai
Sihwan Kim
Ryosuke Kinoshita
Jinichiro Kozuma
Hideto Tanihara
Scott Vincent
LIV Golf launched a $200m investment into the Asian Tour to help themselves gain a foothold in world golf, and a number of regulars from their tournaments are scheduled to play at Centurion. World No 173 Hideto Tanihara is the most successful with 16 wins on the Japan Golf Tour by the age of 43.
DP World Tour lesser lights
Oliver Bekker
Richard Bland
Laurie Canter
Hennie du Plessis
Oliver Fisher
Justin Harding
Sam Horsfield
Pablo Larrazabal
Jediah Morgan
Shaun Norris
Wade Ormsby
Adrian Otaegui
JC Ritchie
Blake Windred
The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, has long lagged behind its American rival for riches and prestige so a number of journeymen have jumped at the chance to play in the inaugural LIV event. World No 66 Richard Bland is the pick of them, enjoying a strong 18 months that saw him almost qualify for the Masters.
Sam Horsfield is one of the younger names at just 25, viewed as a major prospect but has failed to train on. Oliver Fisher, still just 33, was a potential rival for Rory McIlroy as a youngster but has slipped to 979th in the world rankings. Fisher is a member at Centurion.
Veterans with strong CVs
Sergio Garcia
Martin Kaymer
Graeme McDowell
Ian Poulter
Lee Westwood
Bernd Wiesberger
Charl Schwartzel
Louis Oosthuizen
Branden Grace
If they play, these names will be the backbone of the tournament and attract plenty of headlines. Garcia, Kaymer, McDowell, Schwartzel and Oosthuizen are all major champions, and Lee Westwood a former world No 1. Like Ian Poulter, Westwood and Garcia are European Ryder Cup stalwarts. Wiesberger came close to winning the Race to Dubai when winning three times in 2019.
Oosthuzien, 39, is a surprise name given he finished in the top three of three majors in 2021. His compatriot Branden Grace holds the record for the lowest round at a major thanks to a 62 at the 2017 Open Championship.
PGA Tour rebels
Taylor Gooch
Dustin Johnson
Matt Jones
Chase Koepka
Kevin Na
Hudson Swafford
Peter Uihlein
Andy Ogletree
Turk Petit
All American with the exception of Australian Matt Jones, these players have risked derision and potential sanctions from the biggest Tour in world golf. Andy Ogletree and Turk Petit are Korn Ferry Tour players, the tier below the PGA Tour. Chase Koepka is the younger brother of Brooks.
By far the best player in the field is Dustin Johnson, whose inclusion will shock the sport. The two-time major champion looks to have plenty of years in him even if his 2022 form has been below his high standards. Johnson won five points from five at last year’s Ryder Cup and is the World No 13.
Once an additional five players from the Asian Tour come through qualifying, there will be one spot in the field remaining. All eyes on Phil Mickelson’s next move.