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

By James On Sep 21, 2022

Justin Thomas has no sympathy for players who defected to play for LIV Golf and said they can only blame themselves for not being able to earn ranking points from the breakaway series.

On Tuesday, all 48 LIV Golf players co-signed a letter to the President of the Official World Golf Ranking, Peter Dawson, pleading with the golf rankings to recognize the breakaway series, claiming their existing system is “undermined” and “invalid.” without them.

“Every week that goes by without the participation of LIV athletes undermines the historic value of OWGR,” the letter reads.

“We call on you to make a positive decision quickly – in the interest of the integrity of the rankings, the game and all of us who love the sport.”

Speaking the letter to the media before the 2022 Presidents Cup in Quail Hollow, Thomas was typically scornful of the game’s breakaway stars, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia.

Thomas, a two-time major champion, said: ‘I mean, I don’t understand.

“It’s very clear and written there for them. Of course, they just want the best for them, just like the decision they made to go there.

Justin Thomas has no sympathy for LIV golfers who want points in the world rankings

All 48 LIV Golf players (pictured LR Dustin Johnson, Talor Gooch, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez) have written a joint letter to OWGR chief Peter Dawson urging him to award the series points.

The letter was signed by all players who participated in the last event and Bubba Watson

‘I fully understand. Hey, if I was in the same situation I’d like to, but that doesn’t necessarily make it right.

“The governing bodies have created a system for a reason, and that is to try to create the best possible system to determine the best players in the world.”

Thomas is very cocky when it comes to the Saudi-backed breakout series.

He previously called for “at least one” rebel to be honest and admit they switched from the PGA Tour for money.

As for the rankings, he added: ‘Well, yeah, is it going to be skewed because some of the top players won’t be there? Yes. But that’s their own fault for making the decision that they made, and they knew very, very well when they took it that there was a good chance they wouldn’t have any points in the world rankings, and they took that risk.

“I think it’s their own fault.”

Thomas is one of the players who has stayed true to the PGA Tour this year

Fellow American golfer Billy Horschel, 35, was equally disdainful of the fight Mickelson and Co.

“I’ve been consistent at this for four or five months,” Horschel said. “All those guys knew that when they left the PGA Tour, there was a good chance they wouldn’t get any more points in the world rankings.

‘Unfortunately, they were told by their colleagues that they were going to get world ranking points.

“That’s what they feel, based on Greg Norman and the people there, the feeling that they should get world ranking points right away. That will not happen.’

The defectors’ latest attempt at legitimacy comes at a time when they are moving down the standings, after monetizing the Saudi-backed series, whose events are currently ineligible for ranking points.

An application to that effect was filed in July, with LIV golfers fearing they would be ineligible for future majors if their push was unsuccessful.

The letter, which co-signed Open champions Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, went on to question the neutrality of the OWGR’s eight-member board, citing that half are linked. on the PGA Tour, with whom LIV are locked in an ugly power struggle.

Greg Norman (left) wondered how the OWGR couldn’t award points to LIV golfers

It read: ‘About 23 tours have been integrated into the OWGR universe and LIV has earned its place in between. Four LIV golfers have taken the number one position on the OWGR. LIV’s roster includes 21 of the last 51 winners from the four majors. The match level on the average LIV event is at least equal to that on the average PGA Tour event. We know that because we’ve played in both.

“Every week that goes by without the inclusion of LIV athletes undermines the historic value of OWGR.”

The letter added: “The case for the inclusion of LIV is strong, but we are concerned that members of your board of directors are conflicting with each other and preventing the OWGR from acting as it should.

“Four of the eight members have connections to the PGA Tour, which LIV Golf unfortunately sees as an antagonist. Other members of the Board of Directors have unjustly made harsh remarks about LIV. The current tense environment makes your own judgment crucial.

“We call on you to make a positive decision quickly – in the interest of the integrity of the rankings, the game and all of us who love the sport.”

LIV GOLFER’S LETTER COMPLETE

Dear Mr. Dawson,

Your stewardship has made the Official World Golf Ranking status one of the most respected institutions in the sport. As the athletes ranked, we depend not only on OWGR to qualify for the major events, including the Majors and Olympics, but also to tell us where we stand among our peers. Trust in the OWGR is widespread and well deserved.

In order to maintain confidence, we urge you – as one of the true statesmen of the sport – to act appropriately to include, retroactively, the results of LIV Golf events in OWGR’s ranking calculations. An OWGR without LIV would be incomplete and inaccurate, the equivalent of leaving the Big 10 or SEC of the US college football rankings, or leaving Belgium, Argentina and England off the FIFA rankings.

About 23 tours have been integrated into the OWGR universe and LIV has earned its place in between. Four LIV golfers have taken the number one position on the OWGR and one is currently number two. LIV’s roster includes 21 of the last 51 winners from the four Majors. The match level on the average LIV event is at least equal to that on the average PGA Tour event. We know that because we’ve played in both.

Every week that goes by without the participation of LIV athletes undermines the historical value of OWGR. As time goes by, LIV golfers automatically drop in the rankings. For example, Dustin Johnson was ranked 13th on OWGR shortly before announcing that he would be playing in LIV tournaments. He now sits 22nd – despite finishing eighth, third, second and first in the first four LIV events. Over the Labor Day weekend in Boston, he defeated 15 golfers who had finished first or second in the four Majors, including the Champion Golfer of the Year for 2022. For the rankings to be accurate, DJ deserves to move up, not down.

There are strong arguments for the inclusion of LIV, but we fear that members of your board of directors will conflict with each other and prevent the OWGR from acting as it should. Four of the eight members have connections to the PGA Tour, which LIV Golf unfortunately views as an antagonist. Other members of the Board of Directors have unfairly made harsh remarks about LIV, with one of them calling the organization “not credible.”

The current tense environment makes your own judgment crucial. Throughout your athletics, business and golf management careers, you have built an excellent reputation for impartiality and integrity. Your work at the R&A and the OWGR shows that you know how to combine tradition and innovation.

The mission of the OWGR, as stated on your website, “is to administer and publish a transparent, credible and accurate ranking based on players’ relative performance on a weekly basis.”

How can such a system exclude players competing at such high levels against some of the strongest fields of the year for big wallets, at such high profile events?

We understand that LIV Golf formally applied for admission to the OWGR in mid-July. We hope the story we read today about the decision to walk slowly so that LIV golfers slide down and cause LIV damage is wrong. We call on you to make a positive decision quickly – in the interest of the integrity of the rankings, the game and all of us who love the sport.

After all, the fans deserve a ranking that is inclusive and accurate. Not including 48 of the world’s best golfers would mean depriving fans of what they deserve.