LIV Golf Invitational London: Who is playing £20m tournament at Centurion Club?
Major winners, former world No1s and Ryder Cup legends are among the field for the first LIV Golf Invitational at Centurion Club just outside London this week.
All tournaments in the series have a condensed pool of just 48 players, divided into 12 teams of four, but no cut – so all will play all 54 holes over the three days of play.
Here are 10 of the biggest names to follow at the curtain-raiser to the new series.
Phil Mickelson
Hall of Famer Mickelson is the most decorated man in the field, having won six major championships and spent 25 successive years in the world’s top 50.
The American has 57 professional wins, including his 2021 US PGA Championship triumph which saw him become the oldest man to win a major.
Mickelson was a late addition to the tournament, his participation – and return to golf after a four-month absence – only confirmed on Monday night.
Dustin Johnson
The highest ranked player taking part this week, Johnson will likely start as the hot favourite to win the first LIV Golf Invitational.
The American, 37, has been one of the most dominant players of the last five years, spending 130 weeks at world No1 during that time, and won his second major at the Masters 18 months ago.
Sergio Garcia
The popular Spaniard, 42, is a Ryder Cup hero, having amassed a record 28.5 points in 10 appearances for Europe – six as winners.
Garcia has finished in the top 10 of major championships no less than 23 times, finally breaking his duck in memorable fashion at the 2017 Masters.
Louis Oosthuizen
Another former major winner, South African Oosthuizen is one of the most talented players in world golf and a regular contender at the biggest events.
The 39-year-old won the Open Championship at St Andrews in 2010 and has been runner-up at a major on six other occasions.
Martin Kaymer
Former world No1 Kaymer is a two-time major champion, most impressively at the 2014 US Open, which he won wire-to-wire by a margin of eight shots.
The German, 37, has racked up 23 professional titles and has been part of four European Ryder Cup teams, including three victorious sides.
Lee Westwood
Evergreen Westwood became the oldest man to win European golf’s order of merit when he claimed the title for a third time, aged 47, in 2020.
The Englishman is considered one of the greatest players without a major title, spent 22 weeks at world No1 in 2010 and has played in 10 Ryder Cups, including a record seven European wins.
Ian Poulter
Poulter is assured a warm welcome in Hertfordshire this week, and not only because he is originally from nearby Hitchin.
The charismatic former world No5 is also a Ryder Cup great, having represented Europe on seven occasions, including a defining turn in the Miracle of Medinah in 2012.
Graeme McDowell
Northern Irishman McDowell is a former US Open champion who boasts four more top-10 finishes at other majors.
The 42-year-old former world No4, whose last win came at the 2020 Saudi International, also played in four consecutive Ryder Cups from 2008 to 2014.
Charl Schwartzel
Another South African major winner, Schwartzel, 37, has been a force on the world stage since turning pro aged just 18.
His career highlight came when winning the Masters in 2011, and he finished in the top 10 again at Augusta earlier this year.
Ratchanon Chantananuwat
Thai prodigy Chantananuwat, nicknamed TK, is one of the most hotly-tipped young talents in the sport.
He made history in April when he became the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking-sanctioned event, the Asian Mixed Cup, aged just 15 years and 37 days old.