‘It is their OWN fault!’: Justin Thomas takes a swipe at LIV Golf defectors

World Cup 2022

By Staff Last updated Sep 25, 2022

Justin Thomas has no sympathy for gamers who defected to play for LIV Golf and stated they solely have themselves responsible that they’re unable to earn rating factors from the breakaway collection.

On Tuesday, all 48 LIV Golf gamers co-signed a letter to the chairman of the Official World Golf Rating, Peter Dawson, pleading for golf’s rating physique to recognise the breakaway collection, claiming their current system is ‘undermined’ and ‘invalid’ with out them.

‘Each week that passes with out the inclusion of LIV athletes undermines the historic worth of OWGR,’ the letter learn.

‘We name on you to render a optimistic determination shortly – for the good thing about the integrity of the rankings, the sport and all of us who love the game.’

Thomas, who addressed the letter in entrance of the media earlier than the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hole, was sometimes dismissive of the sport’s breakaway stars, together with Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia.

Thomas, a two-time main champion, stated: ‘I imply, I do not perceive.

‘It is very apparent and written proper there in entrance of them. They simply naturally need what’s greatest for them, identical to the choice they made to go there.

Justin Thomas has no sympathy for LIV golfers wanting world rating factors

All 48 LIV Golf gamers (pictured L-R Dustin Johnson, Talor Gooch, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez) have penned a joint letter to OWGR chief Peter Dawson urging him to grant the collection factors

The letter was signed by all gamers who competed on the newest occasion and Bubba Watson

‘I completely perceive. Hey, if I used to be doing the identical state of affairs, I might need it, however that does not essentially make it proper.

‘The governing our bodies have created a system for a motive, and that is to attempt to create the perfect system doable to find out the perfect gamers on the earth.’

Thomas may be very opinionated in relation to the Saudi-backed breakaway collection.

He beforehand known as on ‘not less than one’ insurgent to come back clear and admit they switched away from the PGA Tour for cash.

On the problem of rating factors, he added: ‘Now, yeah, is it going to be skewed as a result of a number of the high gamers aren’t going to be in there? Sure. However that is their very own fault for making the choice they made, they usually knew very, very nicely going into it there is a good likelihood they will not have world rating factors, they usually took that threat.

‘In my view, that is their very own fault.’

Thomas is among the gamers to have remained loyal to the PGA Tour this yr

Fellow American golfer Billy Horschel, 35, was equally dismissive in regards to the combat being carried to the governing physique by Mickelson and Co.

‘I have been constant about this for 4 or 5 months now,’ Horschel stated. ‘All of these guys knew, after they left the PGA Tour, there was a great likelihood they might not get world rating factors anymore.

‘Sadly, they had been advised that they had been going to get world rating factors by their colleagues.

‘That is what they really feel, based mostly off of Greg Norman and the individuals over there, really feel like they need to get world rating factors straight away. That is not going to occur.’

The defectors’ newest push for legitimacy comes at a time when they’re falling down the standings, having cashed in with the Saudi-backed collection, whose occasions are usually not at present eligible for rating factors.

An utility to that finish was submitted in July, with LIV golfers fearful they won’t qualify for future majors if their push is unsuccessful.

The letter, whose co-signatories included Open champion Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, went on to query the neutrality of the OWGR’s eight-person board, citing that half are related to the PGA Tour, with whom LIV have been locked in an unsightly energy battle.

Greg Norman (left) questioned how the OWGR couldn’t award factors to LIV golfers

It learn: ‘Some 23 excursions are built-in into the OWGR universe, and LIV has earned its place amongst them. 4 LIV golfers have held the number-one place on the OWGR. LIV’s roster consists of 21 of the final 51 winners of the 4 majors. The extent of competitors on the common LIV occasion is not less than equal to that on the common PGA Tour occasion. We all know as a result of we have performed in each.

‘Each week that passes with out the inclusion of LIV athletes undermines the historic worth of OWGR.’

The letter added: ‘The case for LIV’s inclusion is powerful, however we’ve got issues that members of your governing board are conflicted and are maintaining the OWGR from performing because it ought to.

‘4 of the eight members have connections to the PGA Tour, which sadly views LIV Golf as an antagonist. Different members of the Board have made unfairly harsh remarks about LIV. The present overwrought atmosphere makes your individual judgment essential.

‘We name on you to render a optimistic determination shortly – for the good thing about the integrity of the rankings, the sport and all of us who love the game.’

LIV GOLFER’S LETTER IN FULL

Pricey Mr. Dawson,

Your stewardship has ensured the Official World Golf Rating standing as some of the revered establishments in sports activities. Because the athletes who’re ranked, we rely on OWGR not simply to qualify for crucial occasions, together with the Majors and Olympics, however to inform us the place we stand amongst our friends. Belief within the OWGR has been widespread and well-deserved.

To keep up belief, we urge you – as one of many true statesmen of sports activities – to behave appropriately to incorporate, on a retroactive foundation, the outcomes of LIV Golf occasions in OWGR’s rating calculations. An OWGR with out LIV can be incomplete and inaccurate, the equal of leaving the Huge 10 or the SEC out of the U.S. faculty soccer rankings, or leaving Belgium, Argentina, and England out of the FIFA rankings.

Some 23 excursions are built-in into the OWGR universe, and LIV has earned its place amongst them. 4 LIV golfers have held the number-one place on the OWGR, and one is at present number-two. LIV’s roster consists of 21 of the final 51 winners of the 4 Majors. The extent of competitors on the common LIV occasion is not less than equal to that on the common PGA Tour occasion. We all know as a result of we’ve performed in each.

Each week that passes with out the inclusion of LIV athletes undermines the historic worth of OWGR. As time goes by, LIV golfers routinely decline within the rankings. For instance, Dustin Johnson was ranked thirteenth on OWGR shortly earlier than he introduced he would play in LIV tournaments. He now ranks twenty second – regardless of ending eighth, third, second, and first within the first 4 LIV occasions. Over Labor Day weekend in Boston, he defeated 15 golfers who had completed both first or second within the 4 Majors, together with the Champion Golfer of the Yr for 2022. For the rankings to be correct, DJ deserves to maneuver up, not down.

The case for LIV’s inclusion is powerful, however we’ve got issues that members of your Governing Board are conflicted and are maintaining the OWGR from performing because it ought to. 4 of the eight members have connections to the PGA Tour, which sadly views LIV Golf as an antagonist. Different members of the Board have made unfairly harsh remarks about LIV, with one in all them calling the group “not credible.”

The present overwrought atmosphere makes your individual judgment essential. In your athletic, enterprise and golf administration profession you could have gained a stellar popularity for impartiality and integrity. Your work on the R&A and the OWGR reveals you know the way to mix custom and innovation.

The OWGR’s mission, as said in your web site, “is to manage and publish, on a weekly foundation, a clear, credible, and correct Rating based mostly on the relative performances of gamers.”

How can such a system probably exclude gamers competing at such excessive ranges towards a number of the strongest fields of the yr for big purses, at such high-profile occasions?

We perceive that LIV Golf formally utilized for admission to the OWGR in mid-July. We hope the story we learn in the present day in regards to the determination being gradual walked so LIV golfers will slide down and to hurt LIV isn’t correct. We name on you to render a optimistic determination shortly – for the good thing about the integrity of the rankings, the sport and all of us who love the game.

In spite of everything, the followers deserve rankings which can be inclusive and correct. Failure to incorporate 48 of the world’s greatest golfers would imply the followers are being denied what they deserve.