Open Champion Cameron Smith among six golfers heading to LIV

The Champion Golfer of the Year is heading to LIV Golf, and he’s bringing some friends with him.

World No. 2 Cameron Smith, winner of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, has been rumored to be joining LIV moments after he lifted the Claret Jug last July.

Now he’s made it official.

The Australian Smith is leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf along with Chile’s Joaquin Niemann (World No. 19), Americans Harold Varner III (World No. 46) and Cameron Tringale (World No. 55), Australian Marc Leishman (World No. 62) and India’s Anirban Lahiri (World No. 92).

All of them will play in LIV’s fourth event at The International in Boston on Friday.

“LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league is attracting the world’s best players and will grow the game into the future for the next generation,” LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said in a statement.

“The best and the brightest continue to embrace the excitement and energy of LIV Golf and what we’re building: a tangible league for team golf that will connect with new audiences all over the globe.”

Smith, 29, also won the PGA Tour’s flagship event The Players Championship in March. He is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour.

His departure to LIV has been speculated for the past six weeks. He was even asked about it during the Open Championship press conference while holding the Claret Jug. He seemed irritated by the question saying, “I just won the British Open and you’re going to ask about that. I think that’s pretty not that good.”

The defections will have a big impact on the Presidents Cup beginning September 20 at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. Smith and Niemann were automatic qualifiers for the International Team, but since the Presidents Cup is run by the PGA Tour they will now be ineligible to play. Same goes for all LIV players, regardless if they qualify for the American side or International team.

International Team captain and former Masters champion Trevor Immelman will announce his captain’s choices on Sept. 6.

One of Immelman’s players and fellow Masters winner Adam Scott told ESPN he sympathizes with his captain.

“He’s been in a tough spot for quite a while. He’s got a plan and whichever one he has to go with, he’ll go with it. It’s just a fact we are the underdogs and it’s a stacked U.S. team, even with potentially some of their guys missing as well, just not at the 11th hour.”