LIV Golf’s season-opening event in Mexico was thrown into chaos on Friday morning when several players were struck by a nasty bout of food poisoning.
The likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and new $500 million man Jon Rahm are all in Mayakoba for the first tournament of 2024.
But several players from the 52-man field were diagnosed with the condition just hours before the game started, leading to initial questions about whether the game would go ahead as planned.
Initial media reports were labeled “extremely inaccurate” by LIV Golf officials soon after, as they confirmed that no players withdrew from the competition without changes to the schedule – although they did admit that “a few players and caddies felt ill’.
Mail Sport can also confirm that players left the clubhouse to warm up ahead of Friday’s 1.15pm EST start.
Jon Rahm – captain of the new Legion XIII team – speaks ahead of his LIV Golf debut this week
Rahm’s first round on the Saudi breakout tour was thrown into doubt by food poisoning
Former Open champion Cameron Smith walks to the tee during a warm-up round in Mayakoba
James Corrigan of the Daily Telegraph reported that ‘none of the players’ wanted to withdraw from the first day’s match, despite initially claiming that ‘more than half’ were affected.
It is currently unclear which players are suffering from the effects of the food poisoning, as most of the field are all staying at the same five-star resort in Mexico.
Friday morning’s news will have come as a blow to LIV Golf chiefs, who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars ahead of a brand new season of the breakout tour.
Masters champion Rahm is the most high-profile new signing, signing a $500 million contract to move from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed rival series.
And it will be a huge relief that they haven’t had to postpone the tournament by a day, with a tight turnaround between Mayakoba and next week’s event in Las Vegas.
The second tournament on the calendar is scheduled just before the Super Bowl and will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Country Club.
Rahm plays a shot from a bunker during his practice round in Mexico on Wednesday
All eyes are on the $500 million man as he prepares for his first tournament as a LIV golfer
Tyrrell Hatton has also joined the breakout tour, leaving the PGA with a deal worth $64 million
Briton Tyrrell Hatton is another player set to make his Mexico debut on Friday after signing his own $64 million contract.
Hatton has represented Europe in each of the past three Ryder Cups and played alongside Rahm in last year’s victory in Rome.
The 32-year-old, who won his first PGA Tour title at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, is currently ranked 16th in the world.
“I’m very excited about this next chapter, joining Jon Rahm and Legion XIII, and getting started in Mexico this week,” said Hatton, whose career earnings are approaching $22 million.