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Graeme McDowell took aim at “idiotic comments” – in response to his suggestion the Open should feature a shotgun start.

The former US Open champion, one of several players to have made the switch to LIV Golf, took to Twitter to claim a shotgun start could have improved the tournament’s slow play problem.

His suggestion did not go down well on the social media platform, and the former Ryder Cup star was slated for his comments.

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But a short time later the major winner returned to the platform to claim he had been indulging in some “click bait”.

“Love some of the idiotic comments below,” he wrote.

Love some of the idiotic comments below. Clearly some click bait here. There’s not a more pure form of our sport than @TheOpen. The Majors are sacred and their history and tradition should always be preserved. The other 48 weeks leave room for multiple platforms within the sport. https://t.co/epcFb2MtkM
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 16, 2022

“Clearly some click bait here. There’s not a more pure form of our sport than the Open.

“The majors are sacred and their history and tradition should always be preserved. The other 48 weeks leave room for multiple platforms within the sport.”

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LIV, the controversial Saudi-backed series, features shotgun starts and 54-hole, no-cut events.

A number of players, including McDowell, have been handed suspensions by the PGA Tour as a result of their participation, although he is among a group who have resigned their membership in any case.