Rahm and Horschel criticize LIV golfers for selfishly taking spots from DP World Tour players
Top golfers Jon Rahm and Billy Horschel have criticized LIV Golf Series players for participating in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in England.
Some players who have joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour are joining this weekend’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in England, and two top golfers made their displeasure clear regarding this development.
Billy Horschel, the defending champion of the DP World Tour tournament, said he believes that the LIV players should not be playing at the contest that will be held from Sept. 8 to 11.
“I honestly feel like it’s a slap in the face to the rest of the members of this tour that they’re coming to play- I believe it is the biggest purse on the DP World Tour with the full field, and that they are gonna be taking money out of guys’ pockets this week, so I just don’t think that’s right.”
Billy Horschel: Some LIV players are hypocrites
He also called out some of these players as being hypocrites for playing in the competition, since the reason they gave for joining the LIV tour was that they wanted to play less golf to spend more time with family.
“I wouldn’t call Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter hypocrites because they never said they wanted to play less. The guys that have publicly stated that they want to play less, those are the hypocrites. Just be clear on that… And there a few of those hypocrites here this week because they wanted to play less, but they are playing another event that’s not a LIV event,” said Horschel.
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Jon Rahm: These golfers don’t care about the European Tour
Jon Rahm for his part was critical of players who never showed interest in the European Tour yet are suddenly participating this year. He said these players are only trying to get ranking points which they are unable to get from LIV events, but in the process are displacing golfers who have been consistently playing at DP World competitions.
He pointed out the situation of fellow Spaniard Alfredo Garcia Heredia, who will not be able to participate at Surrey because he missed the eligibility cut-off point due to the entry of these other players.
“What I do disagree with is some of the names that have never presented, expressed any support of the European Tour, any interest, or the event, whatsoever... To be giving those players an opportunity and take it from people that have dedicated themselves to the European Tour, I think it’s wrong,” according to Rahm.