Golf enters new era. . .Who is playing?

LONDON. − Golf will begin a new era TODAY with the first event of the controversial Saudi-backed LIV series.

The Centurion Club outside London will host the 48-player competition over three days from today to Saturday.

Players who signed up were threatened with bans, fines and suspensions from the PGA Tour.

But two-time major champion Dustin Johnson leads the field for the first of eight events this year with at least a $20m prize fund for each.

Here is how to watch the action this week and all the format and field information. The full 48-player field was confirmed by organisers Monday night and features 27 of the top 150-ranked golfers in the world. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia are among the leading names signed up.

The full field in alphabetical order is: Oliver Bekker, Richard Bland, Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Laurie Canter, Ratchanon Chantananuwat, Hennie Du Plessis, Oliver Fisher, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Justin Harding, Sam Horsfield, Dustin Johnson, Matt Jones, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Martin Kaymer, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sihwan Kim, Ryosuke Kinoshita, Chase Koepka, Jinichiro Kozuma, Pablo Larrazabal, Viraj Madappa, Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson, Jediah Morgan, Kevin Na, Shaun Norris, Andy Ogletree, Louis Oosthuizen, Wade Ormsby, Adrian Otaegui, Turk Pettit, James Piot, Ian Poulter, David Puig, JC Ritchie, Charl Schwartzel, Travis Smyth, Ian Snyman, Hudson Swafford, Hideto Tanihara, Peter Uihlein, Scott Vincent, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger, Blake Windred, Kevin Yuan.

What is the format?

The 48 players will be drafted into 12 four-man teams and there will be a shotgun start. That means that all the players will tee off at the same time at a different hole across the course.

Events are held over three days and 54 holes − as opposed to 72 holes and four days like on the PGA and European Tours − and there will be no cut.

There will be an individual and team event held simultaneously over the course of the event. The individual winner will be the player with the lowest 54-hole score. In the team event, the best two scores over the first two rounds will count. For the third and final round, the best three scores will count and the lowest overall team score after 54 holes will win the event. The inaugural event in London will be the first of eight scheduled in 2022.

The next four will take place in the United States between July and September. And there will be back-to-back events in Thailand and Saudi Arabia in October.

The 2022 series is scheduled to finish in Miami on October 30. – The Sun.