SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The stage is set at Rich Harvest Farms for the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago. Some of the world’s best golfers are on the grounds in Sugar Grove ready for the tour’s fifth event of the year.

LIV Golf, officially known as the LIV Golf Invitational Series aims to be an alternative arena to the PGA Tour.

The series has become quite controversial. One, because it threatens to shake up the foundations of the sport we’ve always known. But 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has become a big advocate of this change since taking the step to join LIV. But that doesn’t mean that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is.

“With the landscape and the way that things are going, I hope that we can come to a compromise, I would love nothing more than that,” said DeChambeau in a press conference after Thursday’s pro-am.

But the main reason behind the controversy being that the series is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. PIF serves as the financial arm of the Saudi government, which has a poor human rights record.

Two-time major champion and former world No. 1 Greg Normal is the CEO and commissioner of the league.

The format is another interesting thing about the series. It’s a 48-player field, 54 holes of stroke play, and there is not cut. The players are also split into 12 teams, so they are play for both individual and team earnings.

“What LIV Golf has provided is something new and unique,” said DeChambeau. “And with that said, there’s going to be some disruption and people aren’t going to like it. But I hope they are open-minded enough to go, ‘you know what, let me just give this a chance,’ and if you give it a chance, you might see something pretty cool.”

The series has eight events on the 2022 schedule that runs through October. Chicago marks the start to the second half of the season.

LIV Golf Chicago is headlined by some big names in Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, and Patrick Reed.

Dustin Johnson is looking to go back-to-back this weekend after his in Boston. Team Aces is also looking for their fourth-straight win. The event runs through Sunday, and it’s a 12:15 shotgun start all three days.

Single-day tickets are $49, all three rounds is $115. More information can be found at LIV Golf Invitational Series | LIV Golf Tickets.