Removing Cut 'One Of The Worst Things To Happen' To Golf - Eddie Pepperell

Eddie Pepperell says that both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour removing the cut from tournaments is one of the worst things to happen recently in golf

Eddie Pepperell takes a shot during the 2022 DP World Tour Championship at the Earth Course in Dubai
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Eddie Pepperell says that LIV Golf and PGA Tour events being played without a cut is the “worst things to happen to the game in the last 12 months” after proposed changes to the big designated events came out.

Rory McIlroy has defended the proposed changes, that he’s been a big part of, which will see the big designated events on the PGA Tour played with a smaller field and also without a halfway cut.

McIlroy says that there will still be “some churn” between the players nearer the bottom of the standings from event to event and year to year, but having the top players around for all four rounds of the tournaments was a commercial necessity.

Those defending the plans also say having the world’s best players fighting it out more often will also be good for the fans and the game, but the move has been met with criticism and even derision in some quarters.

LIV Golf fans and players such as Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood say it is a copycat move, but just from the sporting aspect within the game of golf, Pepperell thinks it’s a huge mistake.

The Englishman posted a thread on Twitter saying how much missing or making the cut can mean to players and lead to bigger and better things – and how from personal experience playing without a cut led to him “not caring about anything during the final round”.

“Missing cuts is essential for growth as a professional golfer,” Pepperell said.

“We could argue that the top guys who will be playing the elevated events in 2024 have already done all their ‘growing’. But you’d be surprised how much it means to make a cut when your backs up against the wall and you’re struggling. It’s a mini win, and it breeds great things.

“So whether it’s LIV or now the PGA Tour, as someone who has played competitively for years now, removing the cut is one of the worst things to happen to the game in the last 12 months.” 

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.