Davis Love III tells LIV Golf defectors ‘you can’t make a career out of silly season’

1997 PGA Championship winner Davis Love III has discredited the longevity and competitiveness of LIV Golf. 

The 21-time PGA Tour victor admitted there are elements to the Saudi breakaway circuit which players would appreciate, yet it lacks the fundamental prestige of the Tour and for all intents and purposes, remains shallow at its core. 

Speaking on GOLF’s subpar podcast, Love III said the players ‘look like they’re having fun’ but there’s far more to the professional game than superficial enjoyment.

The former two-time Ryder Cup captain analogized the current experiences of LIV Golf’s stars to his time playing exhibition tours last year. 

‘Fred Couples and I won a bunch of tournaments in November and December. We got paid to play in them and then we played and won them and won money. [But] they were exhibition events … They don’t count.

‘There’s no problem doing that, but you can’t make a career out of the silly season events.’ 

Love III and Tiger Woods teamed up during the 39th Ryder Cup in 2012 in which the USA lost

Many will look to defy Love III’s proclamation, perhaps LIV’s latest marquee man, British Open winner Cam Smith. 

While the incomparable fortunes earned by LIV’s players will set their families, and future generations, up with greater security, Love III believes the dreamer inside each of them may stir.   

‘None of us stood on a green as a kid and said, “this is for $5 million or this is for $10 million,’” he said. 

‘We said, “This is to win the U.S. Open. This is to beat Jack Nickalus.” That’s what it’s all about.’

British Open winner Cam Smith (left) is one of several new recruits for the breakaway league

During his appearance, Love III went on to criticize former Tour colleague and LIV commissioner/CEO, Greg Norman. 

The American declared the two-time major winner to be insincere, certainly when facing the media.

‘He says things that are so untrue,’ Love III said of Norman.

‘He gets up there and says, “We’re a closed shop” a few weeks ago. No, I know three guys and what you’re offering them and they’re begging him to come. 

Greg Norman has spearheaded LIV Golf’s signing of most of the sport’s premier talent pool

‘It’s not a closed shop. And then he tells — I could see — you’ve seen it in the text messages that are released with Sergio [Garcia].  

‘But he tells players they can’t suspend you for one day, much less a year. That’s a lie. Guys get suspended all the time.’ 

Naturally, Love III is very much pro-PGA in the bitter war against LIV Golf and sees no reason to believe Norman and co. have any interest in making a deal with the Tour. 

‘I don’t think there was any way that they wanted to get along or that they wanted to sit down and partner with us.’

Love III still plays on the Tour despite being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017