Columbus, Ohio – RBC has terminated its relationship with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell after listing the PGA Tour players as participants in the inaugural LIV Golf Series.
According to the Telegraph, Johnson accepted 100 million pounds (150 million US dollars) to join the new league led by Australian Greg Norman and with the support of money from Saudi Arabia, without making the slightest game of golf. For comparison, Tiger Woods has brought in a competitive earnings of $120,895,206 during his career on the PGA Tour.
In a statement to ESPN, an RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) spokesperson 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 has terminated its sponsorship agreement with two players. We wish them well in their future endeavors. . »
Johnson, the two-time main champion, was one of the biggest surprises of the 42 players released at the LIV Invitational, scheduled for June 9-11 at the Centurion Club, near London. It coincides with the RBC Canadian Open in Ontario, which will take place from June 9-12. The bank is also sponsoring an RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina in mid-April.
RBC Johnson signed a multi-year sponsorship deal in February 2018 when he was the #1 player in the world. He is currently 13th in the official golf world rankings, making him the highest-rated player in the LIV Series.
A spokesperson for TaylorMade, who struck a multi-year deal with Johnson to play with balls and clubs, declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.
UPS previously ended their relationship with Lee Westwood, who is also planning to compete in London.
Johnson, whose 24 PGA Tour wins have included wins in the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters, previously said he was “fully committed” to staying with the PGA Tour and was “thankful for the opportunity to play on the best tour in the world.”
Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, issued a statement on Tuesday.
“Dustin has considered this opportunity time and time again over the past two years,” Winkle wrote. In the end, he decided it was in his and his family’s best interests to seize it. Dustin has never had a problem on the PGA Tour and is grateful for everything he gave him, but in the end he felt the opportunity was too big to pass up. »
McDowell, 42, has four wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2010 US Open.
