Saudi backed Asian Tour announces first England event at Slaley Hall

The Asian Tour has announced Slaley Hall as the stage for the first event in England of its International Series, backed by Saudi Arabia. 

Related: Phil Mickelson had been "skating on thin ice for a long time"

The International Series is now heading to England a week earlier than expected. It was originally supposed to be played at Centurion Club. 

But that will host the first event of the separate LIV Golf Invitational Series which is bankrolled by the same source of money. 

Greg Norman is the CEO of LIV Golf Investments and has been organising the separate breakaway league that was finally announced earlier this year. 

It followed months of speculation about dizzying sums of money allegedly being offered to elite players such as Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson.

Norman has said players will be allowed to pick and choose if they play his league or the PGA Tour. But Jay Monahan, the commissioner, has stated before that players face bans if they play in it. 

No player has publicly stated as of yet they will be playing in Norman's league. 

Several high profile players have declared allegiances to the PGA Tour. Just some players to do so are: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. 

More: Paige Spiranac opens up about her divorce

More: What we know about Greg Norman's league

Slaley Hall, in the North of England, will stage the Asian Tour event from June 2-5, with a tournament prize purse of $2million. 

It will be the ninth event of the 2022 Asian Tour season and the second in the International Series following the curtain raiser in Thailand.

The re-scheduling of the events allows players to have a chance to qualify for the LIV Golf International Series. 

Norman has had to constantly fight off criticism about the new league. He claims everything he is doing is for the good of the game. 

He has been arguing for decades that golfers - as independant contractors - should be allowed to pick and choose where they play. 

Two-time Open winner Norman says that the LIV Golf International Series is about "evolution not revolution". 

Critics have accused him of being complicit in the practice of sportswashing which he denies. "If it's good for the game of golf it's good for me," he said. 

The LIV Golf International Series will see:

• Eight 54-hole, no-cut events across Europe, America and Asia
• In total $255m will be handed out in prize money
• Players will be invited or have the chance to qualify through Asian Tour events

This is the schedule:

June 9-11: Centurion Golf Club, London, England

July 1-3: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Ore.

July 29-31: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.

Sept. 2-4: The International, Boston, Mass.

Sept. 16-18: Rich Harvest Farms, Chicago, Ill.

Oct. 7-9: Stonehill Golf Club, Bangkok, Thailand

Oct. 14-16: Royal Greens Golf Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Oct. 28-30: Team Championship, TBA

Next page: Brooks Koepka snatches phone from fan in tense exchange