Adam Scott: LIV Golf not 'pure evil' for the game; Former Masters champion commits to Aus PGA

Adam Scott has confirmed he will join compatriots Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman at the Australian PGA Championship in November; LIV Golfers will be allowed to compete despite the event being co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour

By Reuters

Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick both are in agreement that golfers on the LIV Tour shouldn't get any shortcuts in gaining world ranking points.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott said he does not see the controversial LIV Series as "pure evil" for the game of golf and called on the Saudi-backed circuit and the PGA Tour to move on from their feud.

LIV Golf has lured away some of golf's biggest names with huge sums of money, while those who joined the rebel circuit were suspended by the PGA Tour. The breakaway circuit has filed a lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of antitrust violations, while the PGA Tour Tour has filed a counterclaim.

Scott, who announced on Friday he would play the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship for the first time since 2019, said both circuits had to do what was best for them.

Image: Adam Scott will return to the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in November

"Maybe because I'm a little less emotive about it, I can be a voice of reason for one side or another," the 2013 Masters champion told reporters on Friday. "I don't necessarily see LIV as just pure evil for the game of golf.

"Hopefully we can get beyond people having shots at each other and each organisation can move on with what they want to do. I believe the PGA Tour has to do what's best for their product and LIV is going to do what is best for their product. I don't have a problem with either of them."

Advertisement
Scottie Scheffler feels there's more talent in the PGA Tour after many players decided to join LIV Golf.

The LIV series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and critics have accused it of being a vehicle for the country to attempt to improve its reputation in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

The PGA Tour has suspended players who joined the rebel tour but Cameron Smith and other LIV players will be allowed to participate in the Nov 24-27 tournament at Royal Queensland.

Also See:

Phil Mickelson says that divisive talk is doing the sport of golf no good and hopes both PGA Tour and LIV Golf can come together for the benefit of the game.

"That event and the ISPS Handa Australian Open the following week are now co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, although officials have said LIV players - including Smith and compatriot Marc Leishman - will still be welcome.

"I completely understand anybody doing it," Scott said. "They have been offered an opportunity and it suits them. More power to them. I really want it to work out for them. They may or may not be taking a risk.

Matt Fitzpatrick believes LIV golfers should have to wait two years to receive world ranking points and wonders if they might start to regret moving tours.

"As far as Cam [Smith] and Leish [Marc Leishman] recruiting me, they've got plenty of cash now so they're more than welcome to make me an offer...I probably haven't been able to put myself in a position where I'm willing to give up trying to win major championships."

Grace: LIV Golf will get bigger and better

Branden Grace has defended his involvement with the breakaway LIV Golf tour and believes the tournament will only continue to expand, having been one of 50 players to sign a letter to OWGR chairman Peter Dawson earlier this month asking the organisation to grant ranking points to LIV competitors.

Branden Grace has defended his involvement in LIV Golf, stating it's only going to get 'bigger and better'.

"Some of us want to play less, that is what we ultimately wanted to do," Grace told Sky Sports. "I play 33 tournaments a year normally, if I can get it down to 25 tournaments a year it's amazing.

"In not being recognised by the OWGR, LIV participants face the threat of dropping down the rankings, potentially damaging their chances of qualifying for the four majors.

Billy Horschel says that players who joined LIV golf will have 'some regrets' and that they should understand there are 'consequences' to their decisions after players learned there will be no world ranking points issued in the tournament.

"There is some qualification criteria that is also being met, guys winning the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, winning the Asia Tour Order of Merit," added Grace. "There are guys playing on the Asian Tour which have a chance to qualify for those events.

"If you're lying top three/top four you get into these events for a certain amount of time until you have to play well on those again to qualify for the next ones. Then you have the guys that obviously you need to get into those certain qualification criteria to be able to start something like this.

"You look at WGC and all of that sort of things, limited field events, no cuts, and as far as I know there's no such thing saying it needs to be 72 holes. So when you think about things like that, I know it's the beginning of it but sooner or later we're going to get there."

Outbrain