LIV Golf defector hits out over 'sad' reality

1 year ago 72

Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters has labelled those who criticise the root of the wealth down Greg Norman's LIV Golf "hypocritical".

Pieters was lone confirmed arsenic a signing for the breakaway radical successful February, admitting that the "lonely" and "sad" beingness connected the PGA Tour was 1 of the reasons down his move.

The 31-year-old finished 4th astatine the 2017 Masters and has been ranked arsenic precocious arsenic No.23 successful the world.

In an interrogation with Barstool's Fore Play podcast, Pieters didn't fell the crushed for his switch, conceding that "financially, it (LIV) is amazing".

The root of LIV Golf's wealth has been 1 of the astir arguable aspects of the series, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) down the tour.

"I cognize my wealth comes from an American-based company," said Pieters, which is technically true, arsenic a institution called LIV Golf Investments runs the tour. The bulk shareholder successful LIV Golf Investments, however, is the PIF.

But accusations that LIV Golf is thing much than an effort by Saudi Arabia to "sportswash" the country's questionable quality rights grounds don't beryllium good with Pieters.

"I deliberation the PIF is successful astir 150 boards if I'm not wrong, truthful thing you interaction connected a regular ground is funded by Saudi money, truthful I deliberation it's a spot hypocritical, immoderate of the things that are being said," Pieters explained.

"Obviously the things that person happened, they're horrible. I'm present to play golf. It's not truly thing I privation to spell into. I knew that question was going to beryllium asked, but I don't truly person an reply for that."

Pieters explained that portion the PGA Tour whitethorn look appealing from a distance, the world is acold different.

"As a kid you evidently imagination astir playing connected the PGA Tour, winning play tournaments. I played a twelvemonth connected the PGA Tour. I did not similar it," helium said.

"I got precise homesick, precise lonely, truthful for maine that was benignant of like, tick the box, I tried it implicit there, wasn't my happening and past LIV came astir close astatine the close time.

"Everybody who was playing connected it past twelvemonth that I talked to said it was precise exciting, caller and that was thing that truly spoke to me.

"Last week, we went retired to meal a mates nights, for maine that's normal," helium said. 'It's comic due to the fact that Harold (Varner III) said, 'Man we ne'er did this connected the PGA Tour,' and I find that a small spot sad."

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