Justin Thomas says defeating LIV golf rebels for the Genesis Scottish Open title would mean more to him and admits he has been “wrapped up emotionally from time to time” by the Saudi-backed tour’s controversy.
DP World Tour players who competed in the first LIV Golf event at Centurion Club last month were fined £100,000 and barred from the Scottish Open but won their appeal on Monday.
Ian Poulter, Justin Harding, Adrian Otaegui, and Branden Grace were then added to the field at Renaissance Club, with Otaegui and Harding going out first on Thursday and Poulter and Grace going out first on Friday.
Thomas has spoken out in support of the PGA Tour’s fight against the Saudi-backed rival circuit, admitting that victory would be sweeter if it came at the expense of one of the LIV Golf insurgents.
“It will be fine if I know all four of them,” Thomas said of the possibility of playing with them. “It will be simple. But even if I don’t, I don’t think we’re going to be playing games or needling each other out there.
“At the end of the day, they’re here for the same reason we are: to play well and give themselves a chance to win the Scottish Open.” If it gets to that point and you have a chance to beat one of them and win the tournament, it might be a little better, but I’m sure they’d say the same thing.
“I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve gotten emotionally involved from time to time, and that’s okay. I’m enthusiastic about it and have strong feelings about it. But, at the end of the day, I and others must first and foremost focus on playing good golf because that is the most important priority.
“But, if we can continue to focus on improving our product and making it as good as possible, we will have nothing to worry about.
“You never know what’s going to happen in terms of other entities or other things being thrown out there but I think we’re all very obviously pleased with where we are at and we are just continuing to make strides and progress and changes that are going to benefit everybody.”
LIV Golf Links are ‘frustrating,’ according to Morikawa
Collin Morikawa says being associated with the LIV Golf Investments Series has been frustrating and that the time has come to “let go” of discussions about the rival tour.
The two-time major winner was rumoured to be joining the Saudi-backed circuit following last month’s US Open, but Morikawa quashed speculation the following week with a statement on social media pledging his allegiance to the PGA Tour.
Morikawa appeared irritated when asked about LIV Golf ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open, preferring to concentrate on a star-studded field at The Renaissance Club and The 150th Open next week at St Andrew’s.
To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the @PGATOUR and nothing has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some cereal to pour in my milk
— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 21, 2022
“I just woke up [after US Open] to people saying I was going somewhere when I obviously wasn’t, so you had to shut it down,” Morikawa said. “All I’ve dreamt about is the PGA Tour, winning majors, playing against the best in the world, being here together, yeah, it’s annoying.”
“It’s funny because we go back to my press conference at the US Open and simply because I reiterated what Brooks [Koepka] had said that it was frustrating, that made it seem as if I was going to LIV.
