Recent Open champion Cameron Smith is among several players leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf days after the completion of the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club this past weekend, ESPN reported on Tuesday (August 30).
Smith, the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, will be joined by Chile's Joaquin Neimann (No. 19 overall); Americans Harold Varner III (No 46) and Cameron Trinagle (No. 55); Australia's Mark Leishman (No. 62) and India's Anirban Lahiri (No. 92) in the move to the emerging new league.
LIV Golf, which has controversial ties to the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, confirmed that all six new players would compete at The International outside Boston -- the league's fourth ever event -- beginning on Friday (September 2).
"LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league is attracting the world's best players and will grow the game into the future for the next generation," LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said in a statement obtained by ESPN. "The best and the brightest continue to embrace the excitement and energy of LIV Golf and what we're building: a tangible league for team golf that will connect with new audiences all over the globe. We can't wait to tee off this week at The International and deliver another memorable event experience for fans."
Smith is arguably the PGA Tour's biggest loss to date, emerging as one of golf's brightest stars, having recently won the 150th Open Championship, his first career major title, in March.
"He's a good mate of mine," said fellow Australian Adam Scott via ESPN. "I play a lot of practice rounds with Cam. I'll miss out on that. It's one less good player that I have to beat, though."
Several of golf's biggest names, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, have all signed multiyear deals with LIV Golf, which offers guaranteed contracts ranging between $100 million and $200 million.