O’TOOLE OPEN TO LIV APPROACH TOWARDS THE WOMEN’S GAME

RYANN O’TOOLE, the defending Trust Women’s Scottish Open champion, insists the LPGA Tour is ready to listen to any approach from the Saudibacked LIV Golf Series. The ongoing animosity between LIV and the established tours has yet to spill into the women’s game. But O’Toole expressed the hope that if the LPGA received an offer from the rebel group, Greg Norman and his paymasters would at least be listened to. No formal approach has yet been forthcoming but there are strong suggestions that LIV officials are keen to become involved with the LPGA in some form. Speaking ahead of this week’s championship at Dundonald, the 35-year-old American said: ‘I think the PGA Tour didn’t do it right in regards to possibly sitting down and having a conversation with LIV and seeing what the possibilities were of coming together. ‘I think they created a very big void with each other, and it’s creating a lot of turmoil. ‘I hope that if LIV decides to approach the LPGA and create something or want to create something, that maybe we can do it together versus being this taboo thing or this big issue where players have to choose. ‘I think that it would be a great opportunity to utilise the possibility that there could be some major finance opportunities, and that we come together as two organisations versus having two separate organisations.’ O’Toole also revealed that she had considered the possibility of quitting the ladies circuit after 12 years without a victory prior to her breakthrough success 12 months ago. She added: ‘I hadn’t talked about the possibility of retiring, it was just a feeling that was going through my head. ‘Being 34 at the time and busting my butt trying to get a win, and it wasn’t coming, what was going to be the next chapter in my life? ‘So finally to have that win happen felt so good. It felt like no matter how long you work or how much effort you put in, you know there’s no need to stop because I don’t need to feel deflated.’