Lee Westwood slams ‘brainwashed’ critics of LIV move

Lee Westwood has blasted critics of his LIV Golf move, insisting those who questioned his loyalty are victims of ‘brainwash’.

The Englishman, who joined the Saudi-backed circuit in 2022, spent three decades on the European Tour before resigning his membership a year later.

In that time, the 51-year-old won 25 titles and represented Team Europe in the Ryder Cup 11 times, winning on seven occasions.

But Westwood says the misguided criticism he has received since jumping switch has been ‘stupid’.

“After 30 years of being a professional sportsman, I’ve learned not to give a shit what anybody thinks,” Westwood said on LIV’s Fairway to Heaven podcast. “It’s not easy when you hear all the stuff people spout where they don’t have much knowledge.

“I’ve been a member of the European Tour for nearly 30 years, and I won in the US twice, [but] didn’t take up membership, I stayed on the European Tour.

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“I enjoyed playing in Europe and that’s where I felt I belonged. Covid came along and a lot of people went and started up in the states because of world ranking points and various things, but I stayed in Europe and played European Tour events to support them and add to those fields.

“I clearly have a very different idea about loyalty than people who have said stupid things.”

It’s not just fans that have disappointed Westwood in their assessments, though. The former world No.1 slammed ‘people in the know’ who were being made to believe LIV converts were villains.

Westwood was joined at LIV’s inaugural event by players like Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell.

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“A lot of people in the know used that [criticism] as well, and I think a lot of those people are now starting to understand that they were being brainwashed by certain people with purely financial motivations on their mind,” he said.

“They were making up these stories and trying to give people these ideas about us players that were going to LIV just to forge their case with the public and convince the public that we were bad, and they were good.”

Talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf appear to be still in progress, as the two sides look to put an end to the ongoing conflict, over a year after the Framework Agreement was announced.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.