Woods hits out at Saudi tour rebels
Tiger Woods has launched a blistering attack on golf’s Saudi rebels on the eve of the 150th Open, questioning their loyalty for joining the LIV Series, ridiculing the format of the breakaway circuit and raising the possibility that they might be barred from future majors.
Woods turned down more than £500 million (NZ$970m) to enrol with LIV, which has attracted his Ryder Cup team-mates such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, all lured by signing-on fees of over £100m (NZ$194m).
That quartet, along with 16 other PGA Tour players, have been issued with indefinite bans and Woods, 46, believes that punishment was justified.
‘‘The players who have chosen to go to LIV . . . I disagree with it,’’ Woods said. ‘‘What they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.
‘‘What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practise? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You’re just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They’re playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.
‘‘I can understand 54 holes is almost like a mandate when you get to the Senior Tour. The guys there are little bit older and a little more banged up.’’
What most concerns Woods is LIV attracting the game’s top amateurs. While Alex Fitzpatrick, brother of the US Open champion Matt, turned down the opportunity to earn at least £2m in his first two years as a professional, others such as highly-rated Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra jumped at the chance.
Woods’ fear is that a possible crackdown from golf’s establishment on LIV players could see them denied the chance to ever play at a major championship.
‘‘They’ve gone right from the amateur ranks into that organisation [LIV] and never really got a chance to play out here and [understand] what it feels like to play a Tour schedule or to play in some big events,’’ Woods said. ‘‘Who knows what’s going to happen in the near future with world-ranking points, the criteria for entering major championships?
‘‘It is a possibility that some players will never get a chance to play in a major and walk down the fairways at Augusta National. It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to walk these hallowed grounds and play in these championships. I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players. I just don’t understand it.’’
On the same issue, Woods joined Rory McIlroy in congratulating the R&A for doing ‘‘the right thing’’ by barring Greg Norman from this tournament.
The governing body revealed on the weekend that it had informed the supremo of the Saudi rebel circuit that, despite being a two-time winner of the Claret Jug, he was not welcome to join in with the 150th celebrations, including the Champions Dinner on Tuesday evening.
It was a contentious decision by the R&A, particularly as it is believed that Norman had no intention of coming to Fife anyway. Norman labelled the move as ‘‘petty’’, saying: ‘‘I would have thought the R&A would have stayed above it all given their position in world golf.’’
On Monday it emerged that the PGA Tour is under investigation by the US Government for breaking anti-competitive laws with its sanctions of the LIV players.
A LIV insider pointed to the irony of Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, being feted here at the Home of Golf while his circuit is being probed by the Department of Justice, at the same time as Norman is excluded. However, the two most high-profile figures in the sport backed the unprecedented snub.
‘‘Greg has done some things I don’t think are in the best interests of golf. We’re coming back to probably the most historical place and it was the right thing to do,’’ Woods said.
McIlroy concurred: ‘‘Right now, I think it was the right decision,’’ the 2014 champion said. ‘‘It’s the 150th Open Championship, and that’s what we need to focus on. I think the focus would have been taken away a little bit if he’d have been here.’’ –