The emergence of the lucrative breakaway series has sparked bitter infighting in men's golf, with the North American PGA Tour banning all players who have taken part and Europe's team captain for the Ryder Cup Henrik Stenson sacked after joining LIV.

The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, has sought to punish its players who have featured in LIV tournaments.

It co-sanctions the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship, but Kirkman insisted that Australian golf players would be permitted to compete on home soil even if they join LIV Golf.

"The players coming home to play, as long as there is no conflicting event they will be welcome to play," Kirkman said, as reported by Reuters.

"The Australian players that come home from wherever they’re playing at the moment, if they’re members of our organisation they’ll be eligible to play and that’s been discussed with the other tours."

Kirkman's comments come amid speculation that Australian player Cameron Smith, the world number two crowned winner of The Open Championship at St Andrews last month, is poised to join LIV.

British newspaper The Telegraph has reported that Smith has agreed a deal worth more than $100 million (£82 million/€97 million), and he has repeatedly failed to rule out such a move.

Smith's compatriots Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones, Travys Smith and Jediah Morgan have already signed up, and the series is spearheaded by LIV chief executive Greg Norman.

The LIV Golf League is set to launch next year consisting of 14 tournaments on five continents, with the LIV International Series due to run alongside it.

Australia is expected to stage LIV events, to which Kirkman did not raise objections.

"Some people are going to love it and some people aren’t, but if it comes to Australia we’ve got to be in a position where we stay focused on our strategy," he said, as reported by Reuters.

"Is it going to be good for the game?

"What I don’t want and what I don’t like to hear about and read about at the moment is people arguing what is good for the game and what is not.

"If [fans] get out and see some golf under a different format, that’s up to them."

LIV events are 54-hole competitions played with a shotgun start, and do not currently offer official golf World Ranking points, which are used to determine qualification for the Olympics.

The International Golf Federation has told insidethegames it has "no plans" to change the Olympic qualification system.

LIV Golf Investments is owned in the majority by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and critics say the country is using it for sportswashing.

Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and women's rights and freedom of speech is severely restricted.

The Saudi regime has also faced criticism for its role in the bombing of Yemen and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, to which Norman dismissed concerns by arguing "we've all made mistakes".

A group representing victims' families and survivors from the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States has also criticised players who have joined LIV Golf, with 15 of the 19 plane hijackers Saudi nationals.

The LIV Golf League is set to offer a prize purse of $405 million (£335 million/€400 million).

Norman has claimed that LIV Golf "will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem" and "bring new energy and excitement to fans from all corners of the world".