Wednesday, June 1, 2022. 2:09 PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio — RBC has terminated its relationship with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell after players from the PGA Tour PGA Tour were included as entrants to the inaugural LIV Golf Series tournament.
According to The Telegraph, Johnson accepted 100 million pounds (150 million US dollars) to join the new league led by Australian Greg Norman and supported by funds from Saudi Arabia, without even having made the slightest swing. golf. For comparison, Tiger Woods has amassed competitive earnings of $120,895,206 during his PGA Tour career.
In a statement to ESPN, a spokesperson for RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) wrote: “Following the decision of professional golfers Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell to participate in the first tournament of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, RBC terminates its sponsorship agreement with the two players. We wish them good luck in their future endeavours. »
Johnson, a two-time major champion, was one of the biggest surprises among the 42 players released for the LIV Invitational, which is scheduled for June 9-11 at the Centurion Club, near London. It coincides with the RBC Canadian Open in Ontario, which will be played June 9-12. The bank is also sponsoring the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina in mid-April.
RBC signed Johnson to a multi-year sponsorship deal in February 2018 when he was the No. 1 player in the world. He is currently 13th in the Official World Golf Ranking, making him the highest ranked player participating in the LIV Series.
A spokesperson for TaylorMade, which has a multi-year deal with Johnson to play with its balls and clubs, declined comment when contacted by ESPN.
UPS previously ended its relationship with Lee Westwood, who also plans to compete in London.
Johnson, whose 24 PGA Tour victories include wins at the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters, previously said he was “fully committed” to staying with the PGA Tour and was “grateful for the opportunity to play on the best round in the world. »
Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, released a statement Tuesday.
“Dustin has considered this opportunity on and off for the past two years,” Winkle writes. In the end, he decided it was in his best interest and that of his family to seize her. Dustin has never had a problem with the PGA Tour and is grateful for everything it has given him, but in the end he felt the opportunity was too big to pass up. »
McDowell, 42, has four PGA Tour victories, including the 2010 US Open.
