SINGAPORE: Former Masters champion Patrick Reed said Wednesday he expects other high-profile LIV rebels to be drawn to the Asian Tour as it becomes one of the main avenues for them to earn world-ranking points. The American, along with fellow major winners Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia, has been suspended by the PGA Tour after joining the lucrative Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

The breakaway circuit fronted by former world number one Greg Norman is threatening to tear the sport apart and has sparked accusations of Saudi "sportswashing". Reed, the world number 46, needs to finish inside the top 50 at the end of the year to earn exemptions into the 2023 majors.

But he and the other LIV golfers do not earn ranking points by playing LIV Golf events. They can make up for that on the new "International Series", which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and bankrolled by LIV. "The world-ranking points on the Asian Tour will start growing and get bigger once more guys come over," Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, said on the eve of the US$1.5 million International Series Singapore.

"It's also going to bring more talent over here too. It's not only about the place, but also the people. If they treat you like family, it just makes the experience much better." The 32-year-old Reed brushed off stinging criticism of LIV Golf. "It is an innovative product and a new way of playing golf," he said of the upstart circuit which has controversially offered the highest purses in golf history.

"You look at the old traditions of golf - traditions are great in every sport, but you have to evolve to keep up with the times." Although the American has enjoyed success on the PGA Tour, where he has nine wins, he is ready to move on. "Right now I'm enjoying where I'm playing. It'll be interesting to see how everything unfolds as everyone seems kind of going at it at the moment. "As players we just want to go out, play golf and let the guys higher up deal with everything that's going on."

Trio denied chance

Meanwhile, a federal judge on Tuesday denied a request by three LIV Golf Series players for a temporary restraining order allowing them to play in this week's US PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs. US District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman made the ruling after a hearing at San Jose on the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California.

Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford had sought the chance to compete in the FedEx Cup playoff opener, the St Jude's Championship, that begins Thursday in Memphis. All three were among those suspended by the PGA Tour after they teed off in their first event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series in June. The ruling upheld that ban.

"We're disappointed that Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones won't be allowed to play golf," LIV Golf said in a statement. "No one gains by banning golfers from playing." Gooch was ranked 20th in FedEx Cup points with Jones 65th and Swafford 67th. The top 125 players in season points qualified for Memphis with 70 players advancing to next week's BMW Championship and the top 30 reaching the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Had they been able to play and reached the Tour Championship, the trio would have earned berths in next year's Masters and US and British Opens. But LIV Golf players could not show irreparable harm since they will be allowed to play LIV Golf events when those resume next month in Boston. While LIV Golf players claim they are independent contractors, the PGA Tour argued they were members and the tour can punish members who violate rules, such as playing in LIV events.

"With today's news, our players, fans and partners can now focus on what really matters over the next three weeks, the best players in the world competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo obtained by The Golf Channel. LIV Golf has lured away such top stars as Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson with guaranteed money and record purses of $25 million at events. Jones, Gooch and Swafford were among 11 LIV Golf players who filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz, who had been among the 11 players in the lawsuit, has dropped out of the case, his manager said. Some players at Memphis warned of a frosty reception for LIV golfers had they been allowed to tee off after departing for richer prize money as well as trying to knock PGA players out of their own playoffs. "Going to be a pretty icy Thursday morning if those guys play," 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover told The Golf Channel. "They want their cake and eat it too." - AFP