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Brooks Koepka, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed had some choice words for the PGA Tour following their switch to LIV Golf.

The trio – not renowned for holding their views back – tore into the established circuit in a sometimes-heated press conference ahead of this week’s LIV event in Portland.

On a range of issues, the three took aim at the tour as they set out their reasons for joining the Saudi-backed circuit.

“We have a smaller schedule,” Reed said.

“We actually have an off season where not only can we get healthy, work on our bodies, but we’re basically allowing ourselves throughout the year to try to peak at the right times is when you’re playing rather than feeling like you have to play every single week.

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“And on top of it, just the quality of life for us as players now, you know, having less events, being able to spend more time at home with the family.

“If you have kids, being able to spend time with your children, and not sitting there and having to play three, four weeks in a row, then have a week off, and during that week off you’re preparing trying to get ready for the next week.”

Asked what the PGA Tour could have done to entice them to stay, he replied: “Listen to the players for once.”

Perez, who described signing for LIV as like “winning the lottery”, accused tour commissioner Jay Monahan of attempting to “strong-arm” players, who he insisted “don’t have a say in anything”.

“Monahan just shut it out from the start,” he said, adding that he would have liked to see the tour co-operate with LIV.

“Didn’t want to listen, didn’t want to take a meeting, didn’t want to listen to anybody that maybe would have been interested, maybe would have been a little different.

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“He doesn’t listen to the players. Somehow the tour they keep talking about, ‘we work for you, we work for the players, we work for the players’. It’s the opposite. It seems like we work for them. We don’t have a say in anything.”

On the subject of those critical of the morals behind a tournament backed by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund, Koepka was dismissive.

“They’re allowed to have their opinions,” he said.

“You know, we’ve heard it. I think everybody has. It’s been brought up. But our only job is to go play golf, and that’s all we’re trying to do. We’re trying to grow the game, do all this other stuff. And we’re trying the best we can.”

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