The arrival of LIV Golf left the sporting universe in splits, with the age old arguments of sportswashing by Arab countries resurfacing on the picture. However, what they couldn’t avoid was a number of golf stars heading to the Saudi-funded tour, there were plenty others who were not interested in joining it as they despited the whole tournament. 

Though the defectors may have joined the lucrative Tour for a relaxed schedule and its glittering prize money, what price does a player like Phil Mickelson have to pay to leave LIV Golf before the end of his term? Some latest news coming from the world of golf is bound to leave people shell-shocked, as Mickelson might have to pay an unbelievable amount of money to quit this tournament. 

Some of golf’s biggest names such as Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka, to name a few, joined the breakaway Tour for a reported 9-figure guaranteed check. Though it’s only been a year since its commencement, the Saudi-funded Tour is already making modifications to its model.

One such transformation could be the team component being the sole competition in LIV Golf. While it may sound engrossing, plenty of golfers may not be a fan of the newly rumored model. But in order to break their contract, how much does the defector have to pay?

According to Sports Illustrated, if a player wants to leave the Saudi-funded Tour for some reason, there is a penalty clause that states the golfer must pay two, three, or four times their signing bonus to break their agreement. For instance, since Phil Mickelson reportedly received $200 million to join LIV Golf, he must pay around $400-800 million penalty to break his contract!

While it may sound shocking to some, the golf world also had the same reaction when they first heard about the exorbitant LIV contracts. With the massive money offering, also come stubborn clauses. Nonetheless, most golfers are under contract with LIV until the 2025 season. With no complaints about the breakaway Tour as of now and a hefty amount to terminate the contract, there won’t be any defector leaving LIV Golf in the foreseeable future. If you are interested in Golf news and betting visit Nextbet.