Tiger Woods says LIV golfers turned backs on what made them
- Published
I disagree with the LIV Golf Series - Woods
The 150th Open |
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Venue: St Andrews, Scotland Dates: 14-17 July |
Coverage: BBC TV, radio and online, on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app. Full coverage details. |
Tiger Woods believes some players "have turned their back" on what made them by leaving the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
Speaking at St Andrews before the 150th Open Championship, the 15-time major winner says it would be "sad" for young players not to experience such events.
"What they've done is turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position," said Woods.
LIV golfers who qualified for this week's Open will be allowed to play.
However, the R&A did not invite LIV chief executive Greg Norman to compete in Monday's Celebration of Champions event or attend Tuesday's Champions' Dinner, saying: "The 150th Open is an extremely important milestone for golf and we want to ensure that the focus remains on celebrating the Championship and its heritage.
"Unfortunately, we do not believe that would be the case if Greg were to attend."
It was a decision called "petty" by Norman.
However, Woods agreed with the R&A's stance, saying: "Greg has done some things that I don't think is in the best interest of our game, and we're coming back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport. I believe it's the right thing."
The LIV circuit has created division within the game and attracted some of the world's best players, with £200m in prize money up for grabs across its eight announced events, two of which have already been played.
The PGA Tour has suspended all members who have competed on the LIV Golf tour, including major champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, who are all playing this week.
Woods says the concept of the rebel tour is vastly different to when Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer supported players breaking away from the PGA of America to form the PGA Tour in 1968.
"I just don't understand it," added Woods. "I understand what Jack and Arnold did because playing professional golf at a Tour level versus a club pro is different, and I understand that transition and that move and the recognition that a touring pro versus a club pro is.
"But 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 just don't see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players, especially if the LIV organisation doesn't get world ranking points and the major championships change their criteria for entering the events.
"It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to experience it and experience what we've got a chance to experience and walk these hallowed grounds and play in these championships.
"Some players have never got a chance to even experience it. They've gone right from the amateur ranks right into that organisation and never really got a chance to play out here and what it feels like to play a Tour schedule or to play in some big events.
"And who knows what's going to happen in the near future with world-ranking points, the criteria for entering major championships. The governing body is going to have to figure that out."
Woods says he used a six-iron for a 120-yard shot on Tuesday as the wind began to strengthen on the Fife coast
'I didn't want to miss this Open'
However, as he prepares to compete at the home of golf this week, Woods remains confident the future of the sport is in a good place.
"I'm very optimistic," said the 46-year-old. "We're in the greatest golf boom ever right now because of Covid.
"It's allowed us as a sport to get outside and be outside and to participate and do some physical activity and get out of the house and still not worry about Covid.
"There's so many new, young golfers that are coming up. Just look at the Tour, the average age is getting younger and younger and they're just getting better earlier and faster and they're winning at earlier ages."
Woods became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors by claiming his first Claret Jug with victory on the Old Course in 2000 and calls it his favourite venue.
To have the chance to play on the Fife links again after suffering career-threatening injuries in February last year was an opportunity the three-time winner was not going to miss.
"For the most part of my rehab I was just hoping that I could walk again, walk normal and have a normal life and maybe play a little hit-and-giggle golf with my son or my friends at home," he said.
"But lo and behold, I've played championship golf this year. And once I realised that I could possibly play at a high level, my focus was to get back here at St Andrews to play in this championship being it's the most historic one we've ever had.
"I just didn't want to miss this Open here at the home of golf."
When asked if it could be his last Open at St Andrews - the next is 2027 - he replied: "Who knows? I don't know whether I will be able to physically compete at this level by then.
"I don't know how many Open Championships I have left here at St Andrews but I wanted this one.
"It started here for me in '95 and if it ends here in '22, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
"If I get the chance to play one more, it would be great, but there's no guarantee."