Brendon Steele and Danny Lee have reportedly signed a deal with the controversial LIV Golf. ESPN sources claimed that the golfers are the latest addition to the Saudi-backed series.
LIV Golf announced its 2023 roster on February 15 with the members of four more teams to be announced on Monday, February 20.
Ahead of the release of their full roster, several sources cited that Steele and Lee will compete in the upcoming LIV Golf tournament scheduled to take place in late February.
Reports also revealed that Thomas Pieters will also join the LIV Golf. The 31-year-old DP Tour Golfer recently expressed his frustration at not receiving an invitation to play the ongoing PGA Tour event, Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
Brendon Steele was scheduled to play at the Genesis Invitational this week. However, he withdrew his name at the last moment due to undisclosed reasons, while Lee played in the tournament and missed the cut on Saturday.
Fans react to Brendan Steele and Danny Lee joining the LIV Golf
Brendon Steele has won three PGA Tours, including the Valero Texas Open and Safeway Open. He is ranked 122nd in the world and has competed in numerous tournaments so far, including the Farmers Insurance Open and the CJ Cup.
Danny Lee also had a captivating career while playing on the PGA Tour. He won the 2015 Greenbrier Classic and collected more than $15 million in earnings. Lee ranked 259th in the world and has finished 16th at The American Express.
Fans are disheartened to learn that they are leaving the PGA Tour. The biggest shock undoubtedly came from Thomas Pieters.
People shared their opinions in the comments on the post of Nuclr Golf. They wrote:
"I STILL don't understand LIV. When guys like Lee join, does someone drop out of LIV to make room for them? Second, if someone drops out, where do they take their career? Third, are signing bonuses draws against future earnings? Last, what determines who plays on a team?"
"Once upon a time there was a USFL and they drafted some of the best YOUNG college players. Hershey Walker, Steve Young, Doug Flutie. They failed within a few years with great YOUNG talent with established names. LIV has a tough road ahead, especially in another two years."
"So great LIV have…A few top end players…lots of want to be’s…and a ton of has been’s. *Next question what happened to all the other not so notable players that jumped ship at the start??"
2023 LIV Golf roster
The 2023 edition of LIV golf is back with 12 teams having four members in eacg. Members of the eight teams have already been announced and the full roster will be released on Monday.
Here is a list of the LIV Golf teams and their members.
Aces GC
- Captain: Dustin Johnson
- Members: Patrick Reed, Peter Uihlein, Pat Perez
Cleeks GC
- Captain: Martin Kaymer
- Members: Bernd Wieberger, Graeme McDowell, Richard Bland
Crushers GC
- Captain: Bryson DeChambeau
- Members: Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri
Fireballs GC
- Captain: Sergio Garcia
- Members: Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra
Majesticks GC
- Captain: Ian Poulter Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood
- Member: Sam Horsfield
Ripper GC
- Captain: Cam Smith
- Members: Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Jed Morgan
Torque GC
- Captain: Joaquinn Niemann
- Members: Sebastian Munoz, Mito Pereira, David Puig
Smash GC
- Captain: Brooks Koepka
- Members: Matthew Wolff, Jason Kokrak, Chase Koepka
Stinger GC
- Captain: Louis Oosthuizen
RangeGoats GC
- Captain: Bubba Watson
Hy Flyers GC
- Captain: Phil Mickelson
Iron Heads GC
- Captain: Kevin Na