HENRIK STENSON has forfeited his chance to lead Team Europe at the Ryder Cup next year by join the LIV Golf Series.
Bookies Paddy Power go 1/100 that Open champ Cam Smith follows suit and joins the Saudi-backed circuit.
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The rebel tour has sparked civil war in the sport, with players signing up and facing PGA sanctions after accepting the huge sums of cash to switch.
Team Europe announced earlier today Stenson's "decisions in relation to his personal circumstances"made it increasingly clear he "would not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations."
Luke Donald is the 1/4 favourite to lead the Europeans in Rome next year.
Aussie pair Smith and Adam Scott look set to follow Stenson and join the new format before the end of the year.
Last week, Smith batted away questions from reporters on his much-speculated switch.
Biting back at a reporter’s question on the matter, Smith said: “I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty…not that good.
“I don’t know, mate. My team around me deals with all that stuff, I’m just here to win golf tournaments.”
It was a clear case of non-denial that sees Smith as short as 1/100 with Paddy Power to defect to LIV Golf this year.
Compatriot Scott had a strong showing in Scotland last week and is next in the market at 1/33.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood could follow Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood in making the switch and is as short as 1/5 to do so this year, but reports have now suggested he will not make the move.
Xander Schauffele was the man in-form heading into the Open last week and is 2/1 alongside Danny Willett.
Viktor Hovland was in the final pairing on Sunday before failing to trouble the top of the leaderboard and is 4/1, with Justin Rose at 5/1.
To join LIV Golf by 2023
Paddy Power odds
- Cam Smith 1/100
- Adam Scott 1/33
- Hideki Matsuyama 1/20
- Tommy Fleetwood 1/5
- Viktor Hovland 4/1
- Justin Rose 5/1
- Matt Fitzpatrick 7/1
- Scottie Scheffler 25/1
- Jordan Spieth 33/1
- Tiger Woods 100/1
- Rory McIlroy 100/1
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England’s first major winner since 2016, Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa are the only others at single figure odds, both at 7/1.
Among the bigger odds, world number one Scottish Scheffler is 25/1 with Jordan Spieth and Shane Lowry at 33/1.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have publicly gone against the players making the switch and are unsurprisingly as big as 100/1 to make the move.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power said: “LIV Golf is driving a wedge through the heart of golfing world with the lure of money, money, and more money proving too tempting for many of the game’s best.
"Money might not be able to buy you happiness, but it can buy you almost all of the world’s best golfers! And let's face it, some pretty rubbish ones too."
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