Greg Norman has announced that the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, sponsored by Saudi Arabia, will begin in June and will have a prize pool of $255 million.

“In my perspective, it’s dead in the water,” McIlroy said.

Not so fast, my friend.

Norman, also known as the Great White Shark, made a comeback on Tuesday, sending a letter to players declaring that the league, which is supported by Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund, was far from dead. Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf Investments, which is backed by the Saudis, declared on Wednesday that the league that would compete with the PGA Tour will have significant fangs.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series will commence in June and will consist of eight events featuring individual and team competition with a total prize pool of $255 million. The first tournament will be held at Centurion Golf Club in London on June 9-11, and the first seven events will have a total purse of $20 million, with an additional $5 million split among the top three teams each week.

The top three in the individual format will split $30 million after the first seven events are completed. The final event, which will take place on Oct. 28-30 at a yet-to-be-determined location, will be a team championship with a prize pool of $50 million.

In the United States, events will be held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, The International in Boston, and Rich Harvest Farms west of Chicago.

Any players who join the league will be kicked off the PGA Tour, according to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. In a letter, Norman stated that the PGA Tour cannot ban players. Litigation appears to be on the horizon.

LIV Golf Investments, which has already invested $300 million in the Asian Tour over the last ten years, is putting up more than $400 million to get the series off the ground.

There will be 48 players and 12 four-man teams competing in the competitions. It will be a 54-hole tournament with no cut and shotgun start.

“I want golf to expand,” Norman said in a statement. “I want players to have more possibilities, and spectators to have more pleasure.” “It is my goal to assist the game in realizing its full potential, and we recognize that golf’s function as an entertainment product is vital to general involvement in the sport.”

“We are a start-up in many aspects.” We have a long-term strategy and want to expand. We have a really bright and exciting future, in my opinion.”

The four major championships and heritage events will not be included in the calendar. Each event will include teams made up of different players selected through a draft held the week before the event.

Norman stated, “Our tournaments are absolutely additive to the world of golf.” “We’ve done our best to construct a timetable that permits gamers to participate in our tournaments while also playing elsewhere.” I believe that players will make strides toward achieving their right to play anywhere they wish. We will assist golfers in whatever manner we can and offer them with opportunities to reach their greatest potential.”

“As we have mentioned frequently in recent weeks, the PGA Tour has moved on,” said Joel Schuchmann, senior vice president of communications for the PGA Tour.

LIV Golf Invitational 2022 schedule

A third league is also circling the waterways. The Premier Golf League has revealed ideas to the PGA Tour and some players, including McIlroy, for a series of events that would partner with various tours, according to The Fire Pit Collective. There are 18 events in total, with 12 teams of four players competing in team and individual finals that run concurrently throughout the season. The purses would be worth $20 million, with an extra $1 million going to the team event winners. A $20 million winner-take-all prize is also up for grabs in the season-ending team event.

The PGL also intends to distribute 100 million shares in a tiered scheme to PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and DP World Tour players.