Padraig Harrington discusses how LIV Golf could affect the DP World Tour and the Ryder Cup

Padraig Harrington is concerned about the DP World Tour future as the contentious LIV Golf series continues to send shockwaves through the sport.

A number of the world’s top players have defied sanctions from established tours to join the lucrative Saudi-backed circuit, which holds its second tournament this week in Portland, Oregon.

Harrington, the newly crowned US Senior Open champion, believes the American-based PGA Tour will be able to survive the loss of these top players but is less confident about the European counterpart.

The Irishman said: “I feel for the European Tour because there’s definitely room for two tours, there’s no doubt about it, but is there room for more? It looks like the European Tour is the one that could come under pressure and be squeezed.

“LIV looks like it’s going to be here to stay. In three, four, or five years’ time, all of this could be very normalised, and there could be the US Tour and the LIV Tour contending for the hearts and minds of the players. Let’s hope that the European Tour can keep up. We do need a very strong European Tour.”

With its streamlined 54-hole tournaments, simultaneous “shotgun” starts, and team competitions, LIV Golf is attempting to broaden the sport’s appeal. The extraordinary financial backing behind it, however, has allowed it to gain a foothold, with the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau reportedly offering nine-figure contracts to sign up.

Harrington said: “As much as the media talks about the players who have gone, some of the players who haven’t gone don’t get enough credit. At the moment, it seems like the players who are staying are the ones who are feeling like their careers are going on an upward spiral, they want to win the majors and they think that’s their future.