Several LIV golfers will tee it up this week in the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship, and Billy Horschel is not happy about it.
The defending BMW PGA champion fielded questions from the media for 20 minutes on Tuesday, and those listening got their money’s worth. Horschel pulled no punches when the dialogue turned to the LIV golfers’ presence in the field this week at Wentworth.
“Even though Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have been stalwarts for the European Tour, I don’t think those guys really should be here,” Horschel said. “I honestly don’t think that the American guys who haven’t supported the PGA Tour should be here. Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak — you’ve never played this tournament, you’ve never supported the DP World Tour. Why are you here?”
Horschel speculated that the only reason the LIV golfers are on hand is to garner world-ranking points. As it stands currently, LIV golf events do not award any points for the Official World Golf Ranking — which, for many, is their only avenue into major championships.
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“You are here for one reason only,” Horschel said. “That’s to try to get World Ranking points because you don’t have them [on LIV].”
The PGA Tour immediately suspended any player teeing up in a LIV Golf event, while others resigned their memberships. The DP World Tour also levied suspensions and fines against LIV golfers, but an arbitration judge paused those sanctions, with a final judgment expected early next year.
Horschel continued his tirade by calling out the LIV golfers for their hypocrisy — specifically as it pertains to the “limited schedule” that playing the start-up tour affords.
“It’s pretty hypocritical to come over here and play outside LIV when your big thing was to spend more time with family and want to play less golf,” he said. “So that’s my stance on it. I can see where other guys may differ and have a different opinion.”
This isn’t the first time Horschel has been critical of those playing on the up-start golf tour. At the Scottish Open this summer, he also blasted the LIV golfers in the field for their hypocrisy. Last month, Horschel said LIV golfers had been “brainwashed.”
“If we were on the PGA Tour, I would be hard-lined as I’ve always been,” he said.