Billy Horschel is fed up.
No, he doesn’t have any personal animosity for PGA Tour defectors who have decided to chase exorbitant paydays and join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league. He is just tired of those players being, as he describes it, untruthful with some of their recent comments.
“I’ve been really frustrated by it because there’s a lot of guys that are hypocrites, that aren’t telling the truth, that are lying about some things, and I just can’t stand to sit here anymore and be diplomatic about it as I have been in the past,” Horschel said Tuesday ahead of the Scottish Open. “I don’t fault anyone for going to play the LIV tour. I don’t have any ill will for anyone going to play the LIV tour. I have ill will toward comments that they’ve made, comments saying that [PGA Tour commissioner] Jay Monahan doesn’t listen, the PGA Tour doesn’t listen to us.
“Jay Monahan and everyone at headquarters is the PGA Tour. They work tirelessly for us to reap the financial rewards and have all the opportunities that we have. At the same time, I am one of 200-plus members of the PGA Tour. I am the PGA Tour, just as 200 other members are the PGA Tour, so when you take shots at the PGA Tour and Jay Monahan, you’re not just taking shots at them, you’re taking shots at us.”
Horschel took most offense to the claim that LIV players made the move in order to play fewer tournaments, have more schedule flexibility and be able to spend more time with their families. He pointed out that PGA Tour members have the freedom to set their own schedules, and that personally, he and his wife decided that he would spend five weeks away from his family in order to compete in a few events overseas, including next week’s Open Championship.
“I made that decision. … Am I crying about it? No,” Horschel said. “I understand. I’m living my dream, trying to play golf professionally and support my family financially.”
Horschel also noted the hypocrisy of the players who are complaining about suspensions handed down by the PGA and DP World tours. LIV will go from eight events to 14 events, and as Horschel explains, if guys also wanted to play the PGA Tour, that would be, at minimum, 29 events.
“It’s ridiculous to hear some of these comments some of these guys made, saying, well, this allows me to play less tournaments, I’ve played 30-35 weeks a year,” Horschel said. “No one’s forced you to play that many events. The PGA Tour says 15 events minimum. If you keep your card in those 15 events, then that’s fine. If you want to play better or you want to play more so you get a chance to win the FedExCup? So be it. So be it! No one’s made you play that first playoff event to miss family obligations. No one has.”
The last part was likely directed at Pat Perez, who joined the LIV tour in time to compete in last week’s event in Portland, Oregon. Perez talked about how he missed the birth of his child in order to play the first FedExCup event because he was on the bubble in points.
Full-field scores from Genesis Scottish Open
Horschel maintains he’s taken nothing personal – even if there has been some division amongst players, he says, in the locker room – but he is still tired of comments he deems to be untruthful.
Oh, and when it comes to LIV players who want to enjoy the benefits of both LIV and the PGA and DP World tours, Horschel calls that desire “asinine.” They already made their bed, he says.
“Go play your LIV tour and forget about the PGA Tour,” Horschel said. “You didn’t want to support the PGA Tour going forward. … If you don’t want to be a part of this tour which has given you so many opportunities to make a name and build a financial stability for your family and everything, then that’s fine.
“Just stay away, and we’ll be fine without you guys.”
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