Thomas Bjorn has described the ongoing battle at the top of the men’s game as “very sad to watch” and admitted he wouldn’t be surprised if the saga brought a premature end to the Ryder Cup careers of those associated with LIV Golf.
In particular, the Dane despairs that players, who should be pulling in the same direction for the betterment of the game, now appear to be at odds, not necessarily with each other, but with their respected viewpoints on golf’s future, which hangs precariously in the balance.
Video: What is LIV Golf?
Bjorn, speaking to OLBG (opens in new tab), said: “The players are getting played out against each other which, for me, is something that I find really sad. But that’s where we are and we have to work through it.
“Yes, it [LIV Golf] will land somewhere and it will calm down, but the disruption at the moment I think the game of golf could have done without. It certainly detracts from the important things, which is the majors, which is our top events on both sides of the Atlantic, and it detracts from what the Ryder Cup is and certainly the Presidents Cup is going to suffer this year.”
After months of controversy and political posturing, the $255 million LIV Golf Invitational Series finally launched last month at the Centurion Club. Fronted by Greg Norman, the breakaway circuit has caused a stir amid accusations it is being used to “sportwash” Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
However, that hasn’t deterred a cohort of big names from accepting mega money offers and commiting to multi-year contracts. But money aside, Bjorn’s main gripe is with LIV’s invitational status, reiterating the point made by both Tiger Woods and R&A chief Martin Slumbers that it betrays the merit-based structure that has long existed at all levels of golf.
“To the top of the game, there’s got to be a pathway. If you’re a kid that stands on a driving range and you’ve got talent, you’ve got to understand your pathway to the top. You shouldn’t be picked by somebody because somebody thinks that you bring value.
“That structure has always been there in…
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