Golf veteran Lee Westwood has lashed out at critics who he feels are “brainwashed” by the negative perception of LIV Golf.
The 51-year-old, who was among the first to join the controversial Saudi-backed circuit last summer, has faced a barrage of criticism from both peers and golf enthusiasts. On the Fairway to Heaven podcast, Westwood confessed, “After 30 years of being a professional sportsman I’ve learned not to give a s— what anybody thinks.”
JUST IN: Today in Sports History: Tiger Woods becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins
Throughout his career, Westwood remained loyal to the European Tour, resisting the allure of the PGA Tour’s prestige before making the switch to LIV. He explained, “I’ve been a member of the European tour for nearly 30 years and I’ve won in the U.S. twice, didn’t take up membership there, you know, stayed on the European Tour.
“I enjoyed playing in Europe and that’s where I felt like I belonged. Covid came along, a lot of people went and started up in the States because of world ranking points and various things. But I stayed in Europe and played European tour events, to support them and you know add to those fields I suppose. So I clearly have a very different idea about loyalty than people who have said stupid things.
“I think a lot of those people are now starting to understand that they were being brainwashed by certain people with just purely financial motivations on their mind. They were making up these stories and trying to give people these ideas about us players that were going to LIV just to really forge their case with the public, and convince the public that we were bad and they were good.”
Known for his outspoken nature and defending his choices, Westwood has had several clashes with golf players and fans over the years regarding the LIV league.
Rory McIlroy’s Harsh Criticism
Before last year’s Ryder Cup, McIlroy commented: “It’s certainly a little strange not having them around but I think this week of all weeks it’s going to hit home with them they are not here. They are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them. This week is a realisation that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week and that’s tough.
“The landscape in golf is ever-changing and more dynamic and we’ll see what happens and whether they will be part of it in the future. I always thought leading up to this week is when it’s going to hit home that they are not going to be here.”
Westwood didn’t hesitate to respond to criticism from figures like McIlroy and Woods regarding his move to the LIV series, pointing out to Eurosport that the PGA’s new TGL ‘high-tech golf league’ seemed to be taking a leaf out of LIV’s book. He said: “I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with. It’s just a copy of what LIV is doing.
“There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say LIV is ‘not competitive’. They all point at the no-cut aspect of LIV and the ‘short fields’. Now, funnily enough, they are proposing 20 events that look a lot like LIV. Hopefully, at some point they will all choke on their words. And hopefully, they will be held to account as we were in the early days.”
In response to Tiger Woods’ remarks that LIV stars had “turned their back on what allowed them to get to this position”, Westwood retorted: “The LIV players will talk the LIV tour up, the PGA players that aren’t on the LIV tour will talk the PGA Tour up and put down the LIV tour. I don’t pay too much attention to people’s opinions. Tiger is entitled to his opinion.”
Westwood has also been involved in verbal spats with other players. Eddie Pepperell criticized him on social media last August, responding to the OWGR rankings – which he wasn’t included in – with a cry-laughing emoji.
Pepperell didn’t find it funny, instead criticizing Westwood’s decision to play in the LIV Golf league for substantial sums of money.
Pepperell, 33, wrote: “I’ll tell you what’s a joke Lee; you earning 3X the average annual UK salary in one week for shooting +20 over 3 rounds,” to which Westwood replied: “PIP? Miss that one did you? Monday simulator games? Miss that one too? ” This was a jab at the PGA’s Player Impact Program – a bonus pool that rewarded the tour’s top players in 2021.
Pepperell shot back: “It’s all laughable. From you earning £100k last week for playing like a turnip to the TGL/PIP. Pro golf has degraded itself to being just about the money. Maybe it always has been and I’m naïve, but it isn’t doing much to improve the sport and genuinely ‘grow the game’.”
The debate heated up, but Westwood stood his ground, later firing back: “You know who’s responsible for all of this! Me and @IanJamesPoulter asked all the questions at the Players meeting at Wentworth and you sat right in front of me bowing your head like a nodding donkey while KP was spouting his political head/master s****.”
In 2022, Westwood also found himself in a heated exchange with former Sunderland footballer Gordon Armstrong, who shockingly likened Westwood’s move to LIV Golf to match-fixing in soccer. In a sharp retort, Westwood said: “You’ve likened playing for another league to someone who commits a criminal offence of throwing football matches? What an amazing grasp of reality! I’m sure your employers will be thrilled to hear this logic.”
Initially, Armstrong hit back with: “You took loads more money when you really don’t need it, which I never said was criminal, like Jon Rahm said you guys could never spend all your money, what I said was it has completely spoilt your reputation as a legend of European Golf,” but he eventually removed the tweet.
Armstrong came back later to offer an apology for his remarks, stating: “Apologies the bit about other footballers went too far,” which Westwood acknowledged and accepted.
