Kevin Na Resigns From PGA Tour As He Enters LIV Golf Invitational Series

Kevin Na said in a statement announced Saturday morning that he would be stepping down from the PGA Tour in place of the LIV Golf Series. Na, 38, became the first player to publicly resign from the PGA Tour, implying that potential disciplinary measures taken by the PGA Tour for his participation in the new rival golf tournament would be too much to pass,

“Recent developments in professional golf have given me the opportunity to rethink my options,” Na wrote. “I want the freedom to play wherever I want and to exercise my rights as a free agent gives me that opportunity. However, in order to continue being a PGA Tour player, I have to give up. right to make choices about my career If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot continue as a PGA Tour player without facing legal action disciplinary action and legal action from the PGA Tour.

“I am sad to share that I have decided to step down from the PGA Tour. This is not an easy decision and not one I take lightly. I hope the current policies will change and I will be able to compete on the PGA Tour again.”

The world number 33 is one of 13 players on the PGA Tour who will take part in the first LIV Golf Series Invitational this week at the Centurion Club in London. The PGA Tour had previously denied all requests for player exemptions for the inaugural event, thus forcing Na – and possibly others – to make such a decision based on the long-term view of the game. Jay Monahan on the Saudi Arabia-backed golf tournament.

Na is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour with the most recent being in January 2021 at the Sony Open. More recently, he posted about his altercation with Grayson Murray on social media, which turned into an almost physical melee on the track at the Mexico Open.