WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Among the 17 golfers who have been indefinitely suspended by the PGA Tour for their participation in a Saudi-backed golf event near London are several current and former Palm Beach County residents.
Phil Mickelson, who is building a house on Jupiter Island, and Dustin Johnson, who moved from Palm Beach Gardens to Jupiter last year, are the most notable names to be suspended Thursday by PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan.
Greg Norman, who recently sold his oceanfront Jupiter Island estate and purchased a home in Palm Beach Gardens, is the CEO of the new LIV Golf tour, which consists of seven regular-season events.
LIV Golf Investments is majority owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Here's all 17 golfers who were suspended:
- Sergio Garcia
- Talor Gooch
- Branden Grace
- Dustin Johnson
- Matt Jones
- Martin Kaymer
- Graeme McDowell
- Phil Mickelson
- Kevin Na
- Andy Ogletree
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Turk Pettit
- Ian Poulter
- Charl Schwartzel
- Hudson Swafford
- Peter Uihlein
- Lee Westwood
Garcia, Grace, Johnson, Kaymer, McDowell, Na, Oosthuizen, Pettit, Schwartzel and Westwood have informed the PGA Tour that they have resigned their membership.
Monahan said in his two-page memorandum to tour members that these golfers "have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation."
The PGA Tour prohibits its members from competing in other professional tournaments.
"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," Monahan wrote. "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners."
Although many of the area's top golfers followed the money (and others may still follow), some turned it down, among them Tiger Woods, who lives on Jupiter Island, and golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach and founded the Bear's Club in Jupiter.
Norman told the Washington Post that Woods, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame earlier this year, rejected a "mind-blowing enormous" amount of money to remain with the PGA Tour.
Nicklaus said he twice spurned an offer to "do the job probably similar to the one that Greg is doing."
Other suspended golfers to own real estate in the county that is home to the most golf courses in the country are Tequesta's Branden Grace and Jupiter's Peter Uihlein.
Charl Schwartzel sold his Palm Beach Gardens mansion last year.
England-born Lee Westwood once lived in Palm Beach Gardens but returned to Europe after divorcing his first wife in 2017.