Headlined by world Nos. 2 and 19, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, respectively, LIV Golf announced the signings of six new top-100 ranked players for the LIV Golf Invitational – Boston.
Joining Smith and Niemann at The International Club in Bolton, Mass. will be Harold Varner III (No. 46), Cameron Tringale (No. 55), Marc Leishman (No. 62) and Anirban Lahiri (No. 92).
Also making his debut as a member of LIV Golf league is two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who will appear as a non-playing captain while he rehabs an injury.
Smith is the reigning champion of three of the PGA Tour’s marquee events: The Tournament of Champions, The PLAYERS and The OPEN. As world No. 2, the Aussie becomes the highest-ranked player to compete in a LIV Golf event. Smith is a consistent contender in the majors, particularly at the Masters where he’s compiled four top-10 finishes in his last five starts: T5-2018, T2-2020, T10-2021, T3-2022). A two-time Australian PGA Championship winner (2017-2018), Smith has also represented his home country in international team competitions including the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 Presidents Cup and the Tokyo Olympics.
Niemann, just 23, is the world’s top-ranked Chilean pro golfer. As the World Amateur Golf Rankings’ No. 1 player for 44 weeks between 2017-2018, he earned victories against top international players on the Chilean Tour before turning pro in April 2018. Currently ranked No. 19 in the world, Niemann is the reigning champion of the PGA Tour’s marquee Invitational at Riviera, hosted by Tiger Woods.
Varner III, who currently ranks 46th in the world, is a two-time winner as a tour pro, with his most recent victory coming at the 2022 PIF Saudi International where he sank a 92-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to defeat fellow LIV golfer Bubba Watson. Considered one of the nicest guys in pro golf, the fan favorite is an alum of East Carolina University where he earned honors as Conference USA Player of the Year.
Leishman has 13 professional victories, highlighted by victories at two of the PGA Tour’s elite events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the BMW Championship, as well as an additional 64 top-10 finishes, including three notable showings at the Masters (T4-2013, 9th-2018, T5-2021) and The Open Championship (T5-2014, T2-2015, T6-2017). A former Rookie of the Year who has been ranked as high as No. 12 in the world, the Australian is a consistent competitor on the international stage, including the Tokyo Olympics, two World Cups (2016, 2018) and four Presidents Cups (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019).
For more than 80 consecutive weeks, Tringale has been ranked among the world’s top 100 players. The California native has 30 top-10 finishes in his career and was a three-time NCAA All-American at Georgia Tech. Lahiri, a two-time Olympian for India, has amassed 18 wins and an additional 55 top-10 finishes throughout his professional career. Runner-up at the 2022 Players Championship (to winner Smith), he has twice represented the International Team at the Presidents Cup (2015, 2017), is a three-time representative for Asia in the EurAsia Cup (2014, 2016, 2018), and is a two-time competitor in the World Cup (2013, 2018).
The Boston field showcases seven No. 1-ranked players within their respective countries, four former world No. 1s, and 12 major champions with a combined 22 major titles, including 12 of the last 24.