NORTH PLAINS (Oregon) — LIV Golf officially launched in the United States Tuesday morning as the new organization held its first American-based event at Pumpkin Ridge, about 20 miles west Portland’s center. Play will begin Thursday.
Three of the organization’s newest golfers, all former defectors from PGA Tour, spoke out about their decision to join LIV. The unconventional and controversial tour will play four events in the U.S. over the next few months.
While questions were being posed to Abraham Ancer, Matt Wolff, and Bryson DeChambeau about the controversy surrounding LIV, an organization that was funded by Saudi Arabia, Abraham Ancer declined to answer them.
DeChambeau stated that “we’re golfers”, that “we’re providing entertainment worldwide and will continue doing so”, adding that “moving forward” from that part is “important.”
DeChambeau stated that golf is a force for good. “Hopefully people will see the good that they (the Saudis are) doing as time passes. They’re focusing on what they want to achieve, and not looking back at the past.
They all acknowledged that money played a role in their moves. DeChambeau said it was a personal business decision. Wolff stated that LIV’s team component was particularly appealing to him.
Wolff, 23, said that college was where she felt most at home. She won the NCAA individual championship in 2019 while attending Oklahoma State. There’s something to be said for playing hard for yourself, your caddy, but it’s not the same when people lie about you. When you are part of a team, the best comes out. This dynamic was perfect for me.
The LIV schedule will give players longer and more frequent breaks than the PGA schedule. This theoretically gives players more time to rest, and a better chance of achieving that work-life balance.
Ancer said, “The past two to three years, my whole life has been dedicated to golf. I haven’t really had a normal life.” He added that it was not an easy decision. “I was not as happy because I missed my family and friends, and that made me miss spending time with them.”
Ancer expressed concern over possible plummeting rankings, and how it could affect their eligibility for majors.
Ancer stated, “Ofcourse it matters.” “I want to play in majors. We already have a strong field and a strong case here. It would be crazy not to get points from LIV events. I am certain that I will get some points in the future. It will be resolved, I hope.”
What if they are unable to play in majors next year?
Wolff spoke softly, “We’re speaking about today.”
Wolff and DeChambeau spoke about their desire to leave a lasting legacy, and claimed that the substantial prize money LIV is giving them will enable them to give more back to their communities.
Wolff said that his legacy extends beyond the golf course. He earned over $7.5 million in three seasons on the PGA Tour. It’s all about how you treat others and how you treat them.
By: Lindsay Schnell
Title: Matthew Wolff on his new LIV financial freedom: ‘It’s about how you treat people, how you respect people.’
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/06/28/matthew-wolff-liv-portland-financial/
Published Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:36:18 +0000
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