Pro Hits Out At LIV Golf Players 'Disrespecting' Other Tours

DP World Tour pro David Horsey has drawn a response from Lee Westwood after commenting on what he sees as disrespect shown by some LIV Golf players to rival circuits.

The four-time DP World Tour winner wrote on Twitter: “I have no issue with players choosing to go play LIV…but I do have an issue with the deformation & disrespecting of the tours and players that gave them a platform to create their brand in the first place. And then think it’s fine to just come back & play when it suits?”

The final part of Horsey’s comment prompted a reply from Westwood, who pointed out that other players can be selective about which DP World Tour events they appear in. He wrote: “I’ve been a member for 30 years Dave and I can’t remember a time when the top European players didn’t go and play another tour and then come back and pick n choose from the big @DPWorldTour events.”

However, Horsey explained that Westwood had largely missed his point, and that it’s the criticism the Tour has received for some LIV Golf players that he finds unpalatable. He responded: “My point was more about criticising then still wanting to come back and play. I actually think LIV players playing is good for the events. We want the strongest fields possible. Just no need to defamate in the process. That wasn’t the case in your example.”

Westwood has not been afraid to criticise the DP World Tour since he made the switch to LIV Golf. In January, he claimed it had used propaganda aimed at stoking up tensions between LIV and non-LIV players on the Tour. That led to DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley calling the comments “unfair”.

Westwood also questioned the strength of the field for the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, saying: “I’m not sure where the European Tour is now. If you’d have told me that I’d be playing in a $9 million tournament on tour I’d struggle to believe you. But then if you also told me there would only be one member of the world’s top-20 in the field, I’d think you were mad.”

Earlier this month, the DP World Tour victory in the arbitration panel hearing left LIV players facing the prospect of leaving behind their careers on the Tour. That’s because it can impose sanctions on players competing in LIV events as their release requests will be declined. It also means that, for Westwood, January’s Dubai Desert Classic, where he finished tied for 51st, was likely his DP World Tour swansong after 589 starts. 

The exchange between Horsey and Westwood wasn’t the only one involving a LIV Golf and DP World Tour player over the weekend. LIV’s Richard Bland got into a Twitter spat with Eddie Pepperell over the ‘watering hole’ at LIV Golf Adelaide. However, Bland later apologised, saying he was ‘under the influence’ when he made his dig.