WASHINGTON (AFP) – Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson filled out their LIV Golf League teams on Monday with the latest players to join the Saudi-backed series ahead of Friday’s season debut.
South African Dean Burmester, New Zealand’s Danny Lee, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and American Brendan Steele completed the 48-player field of 12 four-man teams for the opener at Mexico’s Mayakoba resort.
The series lured many big names from the US PGA Tour and DP World Tour with record purses of USD25 million for 54-hole events.
LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman said his group has “reinvigorated” pro golf for a younger crowd even as such stars as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have backed the established tours and historic tournaments.
LIV’s 14-event season includes eight United States (US) stops and its lineup includes 13 major winners and four former world number ones.
Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and his all-American 4Aces are defending team champions with Peter Uihlein, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed.
World number 35 Pieters joins two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson’s Rangegoats along with Americans Harold Varner III and Talor Gooch.
Former British Open champion Oosthuizen’s all-South African team includes Burmester, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel.
Six-time major winner Mickelson’s all-US HyFlyers include Steele, James Piot and Cameron Tingale.
