DP World Tour members, including former Scottish Open winners Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, have been banned from playing in the $8 million Rolex Series event after competing in the first LIV Golf tournament in England last month.
LIV Golf recruits have been paid vast sums of money to join Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed breakaway series, which has now held two $25 million events, with South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace each picking up $4 million as the individual winners at Centurion Club near St Albans and Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon.
The fact some of the LIV Golf players feel they should still be entitled to compete in the Genesis Scottish Open, which is being co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour for the first time, has been met with utter dismay by the likes of Knox.
“Bizarre times,” said the Florida-based Scot, speaking at The Renaissance Club, where the tournament starts on Thursday. “It’s awful, I think. I have quite a few friends who have, I don’t know what the right word is, defected.
“I mean, it is what it is, they’ve gone from the money and can you blame them for that, not really. Is it good for golf and something I’d do? No. But I wasn’t offered 150 million! It leaves a weird feeling for me, I just don’t like it. I’m just not a fan.
“If they’re gone, they’re gone in my opinion. Never to be seen again, you won’t be missed. That’s the way I’ve looked at it from day one.
“They have to try and claw their way back because they need to. If that tour doesn’t get world ranking points, they’re going to have play somewhere, if they’re not just doing it for money.
“I heard something Gary Player said, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. If you’ve gone and you’re happy with the decision,
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