Horschel: "The Abraham Ancers, the Talor Goochs: You've never played this tournament, you've never supported the DP World Tour. Why are you here? You are here for one reason only and that's to try to get world ranking points - because you don't have it."
Tuesday 6 September 2022 17:04, UK
Defending champion Billy Horschel has hit out at the 'hypocritical' LIV Golf members playing at the BMW PGA Championship and believes the players should not have been allowed to compete at Wentworth.
As many as 17 LIV Golf players are expected to feature this week, with members of the breakaway circuit able to compete on the DP World Tour after having their suspensions "temporary stayed" until the outcome of a hearing next February.
Abraham Ancer and Jason Kokrak are among those to have benefitted from an exemption category to play, giving them the opportunity to earn world ranking points not available within LIV Golf, resulting in a negative reaction from many players in action this week.
"There's a mixed feeling out here," Horschel said. "There's some guys that hate it; don't think the LIV guys should be here. There are some guys that are sort of in the middle, and there are some guys that understand and feel that, 'hey, these guys have helped build the DP World Tour and the European Tour, and been part of Ryder Cups and helped the European Tour be so successful in The Ryder Cup', and they are okay with it.
"My stance on this is that when those guys were trying to figure out whether they were going to go to the LIV Tour or stay with PGA Tour, DP World Tour, they had to factor in that they knew that world ranking points were going to maybe not come right away or not come in at all.
"They had to factor in that they knew they were going to be suspended from the PGA Tour and possibly DP World Tour; that they may not be in majors. By factoring that in, they factored in what the financial reward for them needed to be for them to leave these tours to go join that tour.
"If they didn't or they were told something different from the LIV people, which it's very clear LIV told those guys you will not be suspended from either one of those tours, you will still have access and we have looked at it and we are going to in our lawsuits; it's sort of naïve for those guys to think that that's how it was truly going to happen.
Horschel added: "Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have been stalwarts for the European Tour, but I don't think those guys really should be here. I honestly don't think that the American guys who haven't supported the Tour should be here.
"The Abraham Ancers, the Talor Goochs: You've never played this tournament, you've never supported the DP World Tour. Why are you here? You are here for one reason only and that's to try to get world ranking points - because you don't have it.
"It's hypocritical because of what some of these guys have said this week when they said they wanted to play less golf. It's pretty hypocritical to come over here and play outside LIV when your big thing was to spend more time with family and want to play less golf."
LIV Golf members playing on the DP World Tour is different to the PGA Tour, who currently have suspended players indefinitely - pending an antitrust lawsuit - and have said they will be unable to renew their memberships for the forthcoming season.
"I do think there is a bit of a double standard between the relationship with LIV and PGA Tour, and LIV and European Tour," Rahm said. "I think the PGA Tour will and can honestly survive without some big players going.
"There are many key players that have been key for European Tour golf and The Ryder Cup that have a lot of collective years on the European Tour; them coming, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing.
"What I don't understand is some players that have never shown any interest in European Tour, have never shown any interest in playing this event, being given an opportunity just because they can get world ranking points, and hopefully make majors next year.
"They don't know. They don't care. They don't know the history of this event. They are only here because they are trying to get world ranking points and trying to finish in the top 50, and that's clear as day. So to me, there's a difference."
Watch the BMW PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday with Featured Groups from 8.30am on Sky Sports Golf.
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