Cameron Smith, the second-highest ranked player in professional golf, is joining the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV Golf league.
The announcement from LIV on Tuesday confirmed weeks of speculation that Smith was defecting from the PGA Tour in the wake of his victory in the 2022 Open Championship in Scotland. He will be joined by five other players making their LIV debut at an invitational in Boston this weekend. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson will appear for the first time as a non-playing captain and will contribute to live event coverage, the upstart golf league said.
Smith, a 29-year-old from Australia, is the highest-ranked player to defect from the PGA Tour. LIV has used enormous prize money to lure away big stars, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
The league declined to comment on how much it’s paying Smith. In an interview with Golf Digest, Smith said money “was definitely a factor” in his decision. The Telegraph reported earlier this month that the deal was worth more than $100 million.
The move is a blow to the PGA Tour, which just last week said it would expand its schedule of marquee events and pay golfers additional prize money in a bid to stave off additional defections.
—With assistance from Gerry Smith.
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