The LIV Golf Series, which launched in June, has lured away among the sport’s greatest names with monumental purses; those that joined the insurgent circuit are at present not eligible to take part in PGA Tour occasions
Last Updated: 13/10/22 5:57pm
Dustin Johnson mocked the LIV Golf outrage by jokingly claiming he regrets becoming a member of the tour, including that he is assured OWGR factors can be awarded for future LIV occasions
Dustin Johnson mocked the LIV Golf outrage by jokingly claiming he regrets becoming a member of the tour, including that he is assured OWGR factors can be awarded for future LIV occasions
Phil Mickelson believes golf is “very lucky” to have the financial backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and insists he is on the “winning side” of the present divide throughout the sport.
The six-time main champion was among the many preliminary wave of gamers to change from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s PIF and affords prize purses considerably larger than something out there within the skilled recreation elsewhere.
Mickelson’s earlier admission that the Saudis had been “scary m************” to get entangled with had threatened the launch of the breakaway circuit, main to a public apology, though the 51-year-old praised their support to golf forward of the LIV Golf Invitational Series occasion in Jeddah.
Phil Mickelson mentioned final month that divisive speak is doing the game of golf no good and hopes each the PGA Tour and LIV Golf can come collectively for the good thing about the sport
“The game of golf is very lucky to have the PIF invest in the game,” Mickelson mentioned in a press convention at Royal Greens Country Club. “The sport of golf is being influxed with billions of dollars now. And the ability to go global and make golf a truly global sport is really beneficial for the game.
“Now the United States and the UK aren’t beneficial to this, however all over the place else on the planet LIV Golf is beloved. And finally they may come round and they are going to be accepting of it.
“The United States and the UK, where it’s very negatively viewed currently, that has been changing and evolving already and in time in a few years it will be not only accepted but appreciated [because of] the involvement and the influx of capital into this sport and what it’s doing.”
![Mickelson said he was happy with LIV Golf's active pursuit to try and earn Official World Golf Ranking [OWGR] status](https://i0.wp.com/e2.365dm.com/22/10/768x432/skysports-phil-mickelson-liv_5922093.jpg?ssl=1)
Mickelson mentioned he was proud of LIV Golf’s lively pursuit to strive and earn Official World Golf Ranking [OWGR] standing
While the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have made it clear their loyalty lies with the established excursions, LIV Golf’s large prize funds and signing bonuses have attracted the likes of Mickelson, Open champion Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
“For a long, long time, my 30 years on the PGA Tour, pretty much all the best players played on the PGA Tour, at least for the last 20 years,” Mickelson added. “That won’t ever be the case once more.
Mickelson has played every event in the inaugural season of the LIV Golf Invitational Series
“I believe going ahead you have to decide a facet. You have to decide what facet do you suppose is going to achieve success and I firmly consider that I’m on the successful facet of how issues are going to evolve and form within the coming years for skilled golf.
“We play against a lot of the best players in the world on LIV and there are a lot of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. Until both sides sit down and have a conversation and work something out, both sides are going to continue to change and evolve.
“And I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I really like the facet that I’m on.”
Branden Grace has defended his involvement in LIV Golf, stating it is only going to get ‘bigger and better’
Reed: World Rankings issues ‘political battle’
LIV Golf announced a “strategic alliance” with the MENA Tour earlier this month and was hopeful that would lead to ranking points being awarded, only for the Official World Golf Ranking [OWGR] to respond by saying points would not be handed out to LIV golfers in 2022.
“The solely factor I’ll say about all of that is the longer that you just have aggressive golf and competitors with such nice gamers and high gamers, the longer they’re taking part in occasions that are not getting World Ranking factors, it simply makes the World Ranking system insignificant,” former Masters champion Patrick Reed mentioned.
Billy Horschel says players who joined LIV golf will have ‘some regrets’ and they should understand there are ‘consequences’ to their decisions
“Let’s be trustworthy; it is not a real system for those who’re not counting all of the occasions and having factors for everyone. If you are competing for a golf event and they meet each standards that you just’re supposed to meet so as to have World Ranking factors, then they need to be getting World Ranking factors it doesn’t matter what.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, who you’re playing, what tour you’re on, anything like that. If you’re trying to say that we don’t deserve World Ranking points, this and that, then it’s a political battle, it’s not an actual true system.
“Last time I checked, each sport you play, it is based mostly off of competitors and who you are taking part in, how robust that area is and who wins, and you are allotted sure issues. It would not matter what tour you are taking part in on.”
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