One of the most outspoken detractors of LIV Golf has again slated the Saudi-backed tour.
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Eddie Pepperell, who has been active in many arguments against players that jumped from the DP World Tour as well as PGA Tour, was quick to respond to a tweet that claimed, “The future growth [of LIV] is unlimited. This is undeniable!!”
The two-time DPWT winner found that comment just too much of a tee-up, responding with a tweet that ended up:
“Well, if you spend in a year a significant chunk of what another institution has (probably) spent in nearly a century, it shouldn’t be surprising you’d get players like Cameron Tringale in return. It almost definitely isn’t the future.”
Whilst LIV has spent unprecedented amounts tempting the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith in its first year, it hasn’t quite lived up to the promise of recruiting six or seven top-10/top-20 players for the new roster that started last week, at Mayakoba.
Following Charles Howell III victory in Mexico last week, @LIVTracking posted a photo of a smiling Patrick Reed (finished 38th of 48 players) below the comments, “LIV has a better format, faster pace of play and a superior broadcasting.”
#LIVGolf – Established 2022 #PGATour – Established 1929
With ONLY 9 tournaments played, #LIVGolf already has secured bigger stars and greater venues. LIV has a better format, faster pace of play and a superior broadcasting. The future growth is unlimited.
This is undeniable?? pic.twitter.com/GRSTU4m793
— LIV Golf Insider (@LIVTracking) March 13, 2023
Comments were mixed, with one twitter account unimpressed with some of the signings:
No offense to either guy but Steele and Pieters are not big stars. I watched about 10 mins of the LIV broadcast and I’d say it was about 8 mins of Feherety, Foltz, and Heng talking about nothing to do with golf or anything about the tournament. Put 70 guys on the course 4 pace.
— Mike Forsythe (@MikeForsythe11) March 13, 2023
There were those that agreed with the post, one comment seeming to be very happy with what was on offer for 14 weeks of the year:
“Have spent four days with LIV Golf at Mayakoba. Compared to what I’ve seen in the past (PGA), LIV has doubled the amount of people coming through the gates. Will be going to Arizona this week. I expect to see a great golf tournament and a ton of fun for the spectators.”
Either way, Pepperell remains unmoved.
Last year he berated former tour colleagues Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter for not playing at Valderrama, now ironically a course on the LIV schedule for ’23, whilst he re-iterated the point recently.
Commenting on rumors of the ‘death’ of the DPWT, Pepperell said:
“If this happens and we look back and conclude that LIV Golf put the knife into the back of the European Tour, how are Westwood and Poulter and Sergio [García] and these guys going to feel about themselves, knowing they have been complicit?”
