All eyes will be on the Centurion Club this week.
Once the heartland of the old European Tour, England will play host to the first ever installment of the mega-money LIV Golf Series.
A lot has been said and written about the Saudi-backed breakaway tour and it remains to be seen how things pan out.
I always felt the calibre of player teeing it up would be crucial to the LIV’s success and its ability to gain a broader traction with the public.
The Saudis needed a couple of poster boys and in Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson they have two high-profile players on board.
The fact Mickelson and Johnson will tee it up in Hertfordshire alongside the likes of Westwood, Poulter and Garcia is a shot in the arm for the tournament.
The money on offer is huge and Johnson, who has reportedly resigned his membership of the PGA Tour, openly accepts that his financial future lies in the new venture.
Does the former World No1 feel he’s on the slide? Does he now believe the only option to boost his bank account is through the LIV Tour?
Whatever the answers to those questions, it is now conceivable that Johnson, who turns 38 later this month, could gross $200m over the next three years and happily retire.
Graeme McDowell is another player who has decided to embrace the LIV Series and I understand his decision from a financial perspective.
G-Mac is 42 now and his best days are behind him. His US Open exemption has also expired and he has probably reached the conclusion that this is a logical step to safeguard his future.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour boast prestige and history, but I’ve no doubt the powers-that-be will feel increasingly concerned.
Especially the DP World Tour, which isn’t in a position to compete financially.
The purse at Centurion is a whopping $25m with a first prize of $4m and last place money worth $120,000.
The total prize fund in Europe this week is $2m.
The Asian Tour is the smartest thing the Saudis have done because it will provide a competitive ecosystem for those players affected by potential future bans.
A schedule of eight LIV tournaments per year isn’t enough so players banished from the PGA or DP World Tours can fill out their calendar by teeing it up on the Asian Tour.
How competitive will the LIV Golf Series be? This week’s 48-man field is largely shallow in quality, so the jury is out, but it is up and running and money talks.
Greg Norman will be confident of luring more named players to the cause and expanding the project in the months and years ahead.
The LIV Tour’s inaugural tournament comes with a lot of intrigue, but also concern for the status quo and where the sport is headed.
McIlroy to do the Can-Can
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will fly the flag on the PGA Tour for us this week at the Canadian Open where they were first and second respectively in 2019.
The tournament returns to St George’s GC for the first time since Carl Petterson’s victory there in 2010 and the short layout will lend itself to a low scoring week.
Rory’s victory three years ago came at Hamilton GC so defending his title (the Canadian Open wasn’t played in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid) will be a challenge.
World No1 Scottie Scheffler and US PGA champion Justin Thomas are also bidding to add a famous old tournament to their CV, so it could be a stacked leaderboard.
A runners-up finish in Canada in 2019 was the catalyst for Shane going on to win the Open at Royal Portrush and he’ll be hoping for a similar outcome this week.
Lowry has been playing beautifully and has been one of the PGA Tour’s most consistent players for the past six months.
But as Tiger said, winning takes care of everything and that’s the next step for Shane.
A Swede arrangement
Henrik Stenson and Annika Sorenstam will star in this week’s Scandinavian Mixed and it’s fabulous to see two Swedish greats host their home tournament.
Jonathan Caldwell, who secured a breakout victory at the 2021 edition of the tournament, will defend his title in Halmstad.
Caldwell has struggled for form and consistency with 11 MCs in his last 14 outings and there’s no doubt that has a corrosive effect on confidence.
It has been a similar tale for Cormac Sharvin who is on a run of seven missed cuts and miles off his full potential. Not a good place to be as the pressure builds to retain your status.
Cormac needs to find his 2019 form quickly because there are some big tournaments coming up but at the moment he isn’t guaranteed to tee it up.
Olivia Mehaffey will relish the chance of teeing it up in Sweden this week and it will be another great experience for her as she finds her way in the professional ranks.
Better days on Horizon for Niall
I hope Niall Kearney is handed some opportunities heading into the summer.
It has been a tough time for Niall trying to nail down starts and financing your career with limited access to smaller tournaments is a tough station
I hope the Horizon Irish Open looks after him with an invitation later this month.
Betting slip
SCANDINAVIAN MIXED
Jazz Janewattananond – 40/1 EW
Talented player is overdue a big week.
Ashley Chesters – 66/1 EW
Decent odds and tight layout might suit.
Dan Huizing – 80/1 EW
His performance levels are on the up.
RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Adam Hadwin – 33/1 EW
Home comforts should inspire him.
Matt Wallace – 80/1 EW
Could be ready to show he has recharged his game.
Dean Burmester – 100/1 EW
Long odds but has game to spring a surprise
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