Australian professionals who have taken part in tournaments run by LIV Golf will not be excluded from those organized by the PGA of Australia. Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the association, told Reuters news agency.
Pga, statements
This means that, to date, Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones, Travis Smyth and Jediah Morgan, LIV Golf players (and members of Punch GC), will be able to freely take part in the events organized by their association.
I have specified to date why the rumors of Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman signing the LIV contract are increasingly insistent, a particularly “hot” situation for the Open Champion who is currently in contention in the fight to win the FedEx Cup.
In such a context, Kirkman’s statement carries considerable weight, sweeping away any doubts about it. “Players (Australian, NDR) who will return to play, if it is not an incompatible event, will be welcome.”
The due clarification regarding incompatible events refers to two tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship. But the CEO of the PGA of Australia specified that: “Australian players who return to their homeland, wherever they are playing at the moment, as members of our Association, will be able to play our tournaments” “The topic has already been discussed with the other Tours”
This would seem to exclude the possibility of recreating the situation of the DP World Tour tournaments which were co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour (Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship). Based on recent rumors, in 2023 LIV Golf would have planned three events to be played in Australia next year.
One, in the month of April, directly in the LIV Golf calendar. The other two would instead fall into the Invitational Series within the Asian Tour calendar. Kirkman also has clear ideas on this topic. “Is this something destined to improve the game? At the moment what I don’t want and I don’t like or hear about.
nor reading here and there are people discussing what is good for golf and what is not ” “If fans want to attend events played with different formulas, it’s their decision.” I don’t have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kirkman in person, but what is certain is that he gets to the point.