"I'm banned" - LIV Golf championship ring designer makes shocking claims against the PGA Tour

Golf: LIV Golf Singapore - Second Round - Source: Imagn

Ben Baller, who has previously designed the LIV Golf Championship Ring, has claimed that he has been banned from all PGA Tour Pro-Ams due to his affiliations with the Saudi-backed league. This revelation comes amid a reported clash the PGA Tour had with LIV over the Saudi-backed league’s new creator-focused event, The Duels.

LIV Golf was founded in 2021 and held its inaugural season the following year. Ever since its introduction, the PIF-funded league has been criticized by the PGA Tour for dividing the game. The Tour further placed a ban on all PGA Tour players who had migrated to the breakaway league.

Last week, the Saudi-backed league announced that it was introducing a new creator-focused event similar to the PGA Tour’s Creator Classic. Following the announcement, the tour allegedly reached out to creators set to participate in LIV's event, threatening to ban them from future PGA Tour competitions. Ben Baller, the breakaway league's championship ring designer, called the PGA Tour’s actions “corny”, saying that he was also banned from the tour.

“So corny. They did this with me. I’m not a pro and it’s why I left my agency. Now I’m banned from all the PGA Tour Pro-Ams except for Farmers because I won it,” Baller said.

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According to a report from Flushing It Golf, the YouTube Creators who were threatened with future suspensions pushed back against the PGA Tour. Eventually, the threat of sanctions was dismissed and the creators are still expected to tee off in the event coming up in April.

The Duels: Miami is set to take place on April 5, on the second day of LIV Golf Miami. The event will be exclusively broadcast on popular content creator Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel.

Who is playing in LIV Golf’s The Duels: Miami? Confirmed Lineup Explored

Liv Golf’s The Duel features a star-studded field of professional golfers and golf social media personalities. While the PGA Tour’s Creator Classic field consisted exclusively of content creators, The Duels will show LIV players pairing up with creators in six two-man teams to tee off in Miami.

Here’s the confirmed lineup for the single-day competition:

Sergio Garcia and George Bryan
Bubba Watson and Luke Kwon
Joaquin Niemann and Rick Shiels
Phil Mickelson and Grant Horvat
Dustin Johnson and Wesley Bryan
Cameron Smith and Fat Perez

LIV's Chief Marketing Officer Adam Harter expressed his excitement for the upcoming event, saying that The Duels is a way to support what the creator community is doing for the game of golf.

“At LIV Golf, we champion bold, new approaches to the game, and The Duels is a perfect example of how golf continues to evolve and engage fans. We love what the creator community has done for this game and this event is a way to celebrate the creativity and passion that fuels the modern golf community while connecting them with the most exciting elite golfers on the planet,” Harter said. (Via LIV Golf)

The broadcast team for The Duels will also consist of other top golf media personalities, including Mason Nutt, Andrew Santino, Joey Demare (Joey Cold Cuts), and Robby Berger (Bobby Fairways).

About the author

Sarah Rishama Madaki is a dedicated Golf Writer at Sportskeeda with a passion for bringing fresh perspectives to the world of sports journalism. With five years of professional experience as a content writer and strategist, she has worked with global brands across diverse industries, including stints at Soot Africa, TWU, Ink Different Hub, and Attrock.

A devoted fan of golf, Sarah stays updated on the sport through platforms like ESPN, SS Golf, and esteemed publications such as Golf Digest and Golf.com. She combines her knowledge of the game with an ability to understand audience preferences, crafting stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Sarah credits Tiger Woods as her inspiration for entering the world of golf. His resilience, innovative contributions to the game, and achievements motivate her to push boundaries in her career.

Beyond golf, Sarah is an avid NFL enthusiast cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, a fiction novel lover, and a budding gardener. She aspires to one day cover historic events like The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, bringing fans closer to the heart of the action.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl