Kevin Na "Sudden Departure from PGA Tour, Joining LIV Series"..."What is His Value?"

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] Kevin Na (USA, photo) has announced his sudden withdrawal from the PGA Tour.

On the 5th (Korean time) via Twitter, he stated, "It was not an easy decision," and argued, "To stay on the PGA Tour, I would have to give up the freedom to play where I want." This move is to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series, a new global professional golf tour established by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The first tournament will be held on the 9th in London, UK. He added, "I do not want to sue the PGA Tour."

The LIV Series features 48 players divided into 12 teams through a draft system, playing 54 holes over 3 rounds without a cut. It is interesting that each tournament offers a total prize pool of $25 million (KRW 31.3 billion), including $20 million for individual competition and $5 million for team competition. This surpasses the PGA Tour's highest prize event, The Players Championship (the "fifth major"), which offers $20 million. Ultimately, the intention is to lure world stars with money. In fact, the individual champion can win a $4 million prize plus team winnings, potentially hitting a $5 million (KRW 6.26 billion) jackpot in one go.

Starting in the UK, the series will hold seven events in the US, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and other locations, awarding an astronomical $30 million (KRW 37.56 billion) bonus to the top three players. It will conclude with the Team Championship (team event, $50 million) at the end of October. The PGA Tour has responded with various incentives such as the $50 million Player Impact Program and the $20 million Comcast Business Tour Top 10, alongside a strict warning that players joining the LIV Series will be expelled.

Currently, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA), No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), and other world stars support the PGA Tour, saying "We already have enough money" and "Majors and honor are important." Recently, Dustin Johnson (USA) left the PGA Tour. The LIV Series roster mainly consists of European Tour members such as Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter (both England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), and Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa).

Kevin Na debuted on the PGA Tour in 2004, playing 455 events with a total of 5 wins and earning $37.82 million (KRW 47.35 billion) in prize money. Naturally, the ‘price tag’ offered by the LIV Series is another point of interest. Johnson is rumored to have received ?100 million (KRW 156.36 billion). Johnson also explained, "I thought about it for a long time, but I could not miss this opportunity," and "I chose the direction that would benefit my family the most." The next step for the PGA Tour is eagerly awaited.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.