Anti-LIV Narrative 'Tearing This Game Apart' - PGA Tour Pro

Last week at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok, Kevin Na was pictured hooked up to a machine and laying on the ground as he battled flu-like symptoms. However, battling on, the American then flew to Jeddah for the final individual tournament in the LIV series, but withdrew midround as he struggled in Saudi Arabia.

Following his withdrawal, American sports writer and author of Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorised) Biography of Golf’s Most Colourful Superstar, Alan Shipnuck, tweeted his dismay, with Shipnuck writing: "Kevin Na lives in Las Vegas. If he was still a PGA Tour member, he could have played his hometown event last week. Instead, he flew to Bangkok and got wrecked, and is still feeling the effects. How do you say schadenfreude in Arabic?"

Shipnuck's tweet did strike a slight chord with one PGA Tour player, James Hahn, with the 40-year-old replying: "Conveniently left out the PGA Tour is playing in Japan this week. He could have been playing in Japan, gotten sick and got paid $100k less than LIV. I’m sure he’s not regretting his decision Alan, though you might think so."

One response to Hahn's message did question why the American was "bitter" towards the PGA Tour, with the statement suggesting that he should "leave golf and let someone who does love it do it". However, Hahn then went on to reply to the tweet with "I love the PGA Tour, period. Just can’t stand the anti-LIV narrative. It’s tearing this game apart. And most reporters are adding fuel to the fire just for clicks and likes."

Along with Hahn, Shipnuck and Mike Lorenzo-Vera also responded, with Shipnuck implying "my tweet was about jilting your hometown event but I guess it was too subtle," whilst Vera stated "why does it have to be only about more money? @PGATOUR gives such a huge financial opportunity!!!!!"

Previously, Hahn has spoken about the recent changes being made to the PGA Tour to combat the LIV Golf threat. In an exclusive with Golfweek, Hahn, who is one of four player directors on the Tour’s nine-voting member Policy Board, revealed that he was the only player to cast a dissenting vote on the changes, with the American stating: "Certain changes were made to combat the LIV Tour, not necessarily make our Tour any better."

He went on to add, "it seems like the people who have the most influence of how much money is distributed to the top players in the world have a much stronger voice now than they’ve ever had."