Sawt Falasteen - Former US Open champion DeChambeau joins LIV Golf series

"Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf's supercharged style of play," LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said in a statement.

"He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and committed to pushing the boundaries in pursuit of excellence."

The 28-year-old American, the 2020 US Open champion, joins fellow major winners Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson in joining the LIV Series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

The inaugural event teed off on Thursday at the Centurion Club in St Albans.

The official announcement that DeChambeau had signed up came during the second round of the 54-hole tournament.

It is the richest event in the sport's history, with a prize purse of $25 million up for grabs.

DeChambeau is currently ranked 28th in the world and has 10 professional victories under his belt.

The US PGA Tour on Thursday slapped a ban on players who are competing in the rebel series.

The banned players include six-time major champion Mickelson and former world number one Johnson.

The United States Golf Association said earlier this week that LIV players would be able to play in next week's US Open.

The eight LIV tournaments this year are worth an eye-watering combined $255 million.

X.Habash--SF-PST