A LIV Golf squad made fun of PGA Tour player Justin Thomas on social media after he missed the cut at The Players Championship.
After going two over par and three strokes outside of the halfway cut line at TPC Sawgrass, the American was unable to advance to the weekend.
Thomas had a difficult first two days at The Players 4.
Thomas struggled throughout the first two days of The Players.Credit: Getty Discussions on whether this tournament—which is regarded as golf’s unofficial fifth major—can still be regarded as having the “strongest field in golf” in the absence of LIV golfers dominated the lead-up.
Defectors to the Saudi-backed breakaway league are still barred from participating in PGA Tour tournaments and are not awarded Official World Golf Ranking points, which keeps them from qualifying for major events if they aren’t already exempt.
According to LIV Golf star Talor Gooch, if Rory McIlroy accomplishes the historic accomplishment at the Masters in April, there will be an asterisk next to a potential career grand slam.
Before the tournament started, Thomas seemed to bring up that contentious assertion when discussing the strength of the field at The Players.
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“It’s been the best field in golf for many previous years,” stated the two-time major winner. Yes, you could always counter that there are other competitions that aren’t. In terms of the majority of top 100 players, the PGA Championship has had the deepest field—and I’m not just saying that to benefit myself; it’s the reality.
“I understand what you mean when you talk about guys who are or aren’t on the Tour and their global ranking, but that’s just the situation that they have chosen for themselves. Since there wasn’t a very strong field, I won’t get an asterisk next to my name, am I right?
Now, Brooks Koepka, the four-time major winner leading Gooch’s LIV Golf team, has responded angrily to Thomas’ remarks.
In a tweet containing Thomas’s comments, “Smash GC” made fun of the Ryder Cup player for missing the cut by adding an asterisk with a pair of scissors.
Jordan Spieth, a close friend of Thomas, revealed that Saudi Public Investment Fund president Yasir Al-Rumayyan is encouraging player directors on the PGA Tour to meet.
The Tour and the PIF are currently negotiating an agreement that would bring the professional golf industry back together.
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Before a tense conversation, Jordan Spieth “goes berserk” at Sky Sports analyst Rory McIlroy for interfering.
Along with Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth is one of six player directors. “We are being encouraged to potentially meet with them at some point, yeah,” Spieth said.
“I’m not sure that I can say much more other than we’re being encouraged to potentially meet with them,” the former world number one said when asked when that would take place. “At the same time, we probably feel like our membership should know timings and what could happen and just in general maybe it’s just a meet.”
“I think there’s not a whole lot more I can say about that, but we are being encouraged obviously which I think is probably a good thing that the entire board should [meet] if there’s going to be any potential for a negotiation.”
