Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson and past Major champion Sergio Garcia have been listed among competitors for the opening Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series event, although the field does not include Phil Mickelson.
Among the other notables included are former world No.1s Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, as well as European Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter for the event that will be held June 9-11 at Centurion Club, outside London.
The final six players in the 48-man field will be announced at a later date, LIV Golf said.
World No.13 Johnson, a two-time Major champion, is the highest-ranked player in a field that currently includes 26 of the top 150 golfers in the world.
"Free agency has finally come to golf," said LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman. "This is an opportunity to start a movement that will change the course of history by bringing new and open competition to the sport we all love.
"The desire shown by the players to participate in LIV Golf demonstrates their emphatic belief in our model and confidence in what we're building for the future."
Six-time Major champion Mickelson, 51, has been linked to LIV Golf for months, but has been on a self-imposed hiatus from the sport since February, even skipping his title defence at the PGA Championship, amid backlash over comments he made about the breakaway tour.
Mickelson's public image took a hit, when the author of an unauthorised biography said the American golfer told him he was willing to look past Saudi Arabia's human rights record to gain economic leverage over the PGA Tour.
Reuters
