By Lee Westwood, the English golf veteran and LIV Golf League member, has voiced his concern that fans are the real casualties in the ongoing feud between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Westwood, who is participating in the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club, believes that the dispute is depriving fans of seeing the best players compete against each other.
The former world No. 1 golfer, who has twice been a runner-up at the Masters, is making his debut on the over-50 tour, delayed by a year due to a PGA Tour ban on players who joined the controversial LIV Golf. Westwood, now 51, was invited to the Senior Open as a recent Ryder Cup player, alongside Richard Bland, who qualified by winning the Senior PGA Championship. Phil Mickelson is another over-50 LIV golfer.
Westwood emphasizes that golf is part of the entertainment industry and argues that the sport’s highest levels should feature the best players facing off more frequently. He laments the current situation where fans are missing out due to the rift.
Despite never winning a major, Westwood has an impressive record, including a stint as the No. 1 ranked golfer in 2010, ending Tiger Woods’ 281-week reign. He has finished in the top five in majors twelve times.
The PGA Tour requires LIV golfers to wait a year after their last LIV event to participate in PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions events. Additionally, Westwood faces an £850,000 fine from the European tour, which he has stated he does not plan to pay.
Westwood, who recently tied for third at a LIV event in Tennessee, believes that his performance isn’t necessary to prove his point. He feels that the presence of himself and Bland at the Senior Open is beneficial for the sport, and he supports the idea of uniting the best players in tournaments, as exemplified by Bryson DeChambeau’s win at the US Open. Westwood’s stance is clear: for the good of the sport and its fans, golf’s governing bodies need to find a resolution.
