Players Banned From PGA Tour In Real Life Are In EA's New PGA Tour Video Game

Now that EA Sports PGA Tour is available through early access, the game's player roster has come to light--and it contains some major surprises. The roster of playable characters includes numerous golfers who have been banned from the PGA Tour in real life over their decision to leave the PGA Tour and join the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

LIV players featured in EA Sports PGA Tour include Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Harold Varner III, Bubba Watson, Abraham Ancer, and Ian Poulter.

Many might have assumed that these players would not show up in EA Sports PGA Tour due to their affiliation with Greg Norman's LIV Golf tour, but that is not the case for whatever reason. A spokesperson for EA Sports told GameSpot, "Yes, there are LIV Tour participants playable in EA Sports PGA Tour.Additional golfers will be added to EA Sports PGA Tour during the course of the season as live service updates."

The roster includes many non-LIV players, too, including Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and the Korda sisters, among others.

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are tangled together in an ongoing lawsuit, with both sides firing shots and making claims about the other over a range of issues.

A number of LIV Golf players are in the field this week at The Masters at Augusta National competing for arguably the most coveted tournament title in all of professional golf. Players like Koepka and DeChambeau are allowed at The Masters because the event is not run by the PGA Tour. The first round of competition begins this Thursday, April 6.

For comparison, 2K's rival golf game, PGA Tour 2K23, does not include any LIV Golf players on its roster of playable pros.

EA Sports PGA Tour, which is EA's first new pro golf game since 2015, is available now by way of a 10-hour trial for EA Access and Game Pass Ultimate Members. People can also buy the $85 Deluxe Edition to begin playing today ahead of the game's public release on April 7.