Billy Horschel hits out at LIV Golf “hypocrites”

Billy Horschel has launched an impassioned defence of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, urging the players who have defected to LIV Golf to just “go away”.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance, the Floridian insisted that he “can’t be diplomatic about it anymore” in a stinging rebuke of the players who have jumped ship for the Saudi-funded start-up.

His comments came little more than 12 hours after three players – Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding – were granted an injunction against sanctions imposed upon them by the DP World Tour, which will allow them to play in Scotland this week.

“I believe they made their bed,” said the 35-year-old. “They decided to go play on that tour and they should go play there. They shouldn’t be coming back over by DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. 

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“To say that they wanted to also support this tour, Whether DP or PGA Tour going forward while playing LIV tour, is completely asinine.

“To play the PGA Tour, you gotta play 15 events. Their schedules are now going to be 14 so they’re going to play 29 tournaments a year to still hold their membership on the PGA Tour? That’s ridiculous. 

“Just coming to play the big events on DP World Tour, yeah, that helps. But that’s not supporting the tour.”

The reigning BMW PGA champion added that he harbours no ill will towards anybody who has decided to play with LIV Golf. 

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However, he says that he has grown frustrated by events of recent weeks. 

“Those guys made their bed. They say that’s what they want to do. So just leave us alone. Honestly.

“They keep talking about how the PGA Tour doesn’t listen. I’ve been really frustrated by it because there’s a lot of guys that are hypocrites, that aren’t telling the truth and that are lying about some things. I just I can’t stand to sit here anymore and be diplomatic about it.”

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Horschel also hit out at some of the rationale LIV players have used to explain their defections. Amongst them, wanting to spend more time with family.

“I’m not seeing my family for five weeks but that is what my wife and I decided,” he said.

“Am I crying about it? No. I’m living my dream of trying to play golf professionally and support my family financially.

“I’m just tired of this.”