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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Harry Latham-Coyle

Thomas Pieters leads LIV Golf’s new signings as full field revealed

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LIV Golf has unveiled the full field for the 2023 season of the Saudi-backed breakaway series ahead of the season-opening event in Mexico.

Six-time DP World Tour event winner Thomas Pieters is the highest profile defector, with the Belgian currently ranked inside the world’s top 50.

Also included on the start sheet for the LIV season are Brendan Steele, who has won three times on the PGA Tour, and Danny Lee, who took victory at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic.

The new additions follow a number of golf’s biggest names to the series, with Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau all set to return to action.

The second season of the LIV Golf League will be held over 14 events, beginning at Mayakoba and running through to the team championship in Jeddah in November.

A revamped format will feature 48 players across 12 teams with tournaments in Singapore, Australia, the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Pieters’ decision to join comes as another potential blow to Team Europe’s preparations for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Henrik Stenson had been appointed to captain at the event (to be held in Rome from 29 September), but was removed last summer after electing to sign with LIV.

Luke Donald was announced as Europe’s new captain, but is now likely to be without Pieters, who impressed on debut at Hazeltine in 2016.

Donald does have six wild card choices for the event but would appear unlikely to select Pieters, who will also now have a slim chance of qualifying by right.

Both LIV Golf and the DP World Tour are currently awaiting the ruling of a hearing held in London earlier this month to determine whether the Tour can punish or ban players who played in LIV events without permission.

13 appellants have challenged the Tour’s power to impose sanctions on them for missing DP World Tour tournaments last summer.

LIV Golf League 2023 - Full Field:

Aces

Dustin Johnson

Patrick Reed

Peter Uihlein

Pat Perez

Cleeks

Martin Kaymer

Bernd Wiesberger

Graeme McDowell

Richard Bland

Hyflyers

Phil Mickelson

Cameron Tringale

James Piot

Brendan Steele

Majesticks

Henrik Stenson

Ian Poulter

Lee Westwood

Sam Horsfeld

Crushers

Byrson DeChambeau

Paul Casey

Charles Howell III

Anirban Lahiri

Iron Heads

Kevin Na

Scott Vincent

Sihwan Kim

Danny Lee

Smash

Brooks Koepka

Matthew Wolff

Jason Kokrak

Chase Koepka

Fireballs

Sergio Garcia

Abraham Ancer

Carlos Ortiz

Eugenio Chacarra

Range Goats

Bubba Watson

Talor Gooch

Harold Varner III

Thomas Pieters

Torque

Joaquin Niemann

Sebastian Munoz

Mito Pereira

David Puig

Ripper

Cameron Smith

Marc Leishman

Matt Jones

Jed Morgan

Stinger

Louis Oosthuizen

Charl Schwartzel

Branden Grace

Dean Burmester

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