Tour star reveals LIV rebels “won’t take my calls”

Cameron Percy reflects on the moment which put him at the epicentre of professional golf’s power struggle.

“It is what it is,” he tells bunkered.co.uk.

“They knew they were going, everyone else knew they were going and it was just a matter of time.

“The thing is, we don’t see these guys now. Before if something happened, you could see them at the next tournament and talk to them. I don’t see Cam or Leish now and they don’t return my phone calls at the moment.”

• Ian Poulter booed at BMW PGA Championship

• Cam Smith loses huge perk after LIV move

Percy is, of course, talking about the now-infamous radio interview he gave this summer when he effectively confirmed Cam Smith and Marc Leishman were LIV Golf players.

In revealing what he had heard in the locker room about the worst-kept secret in golf, the PGA Tour stalwart could never have imagined the can of worms he had opened.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” he adds, “and the next day I woke up to 300 text messages and missed calls.

“I woke up thinking ‘what the hell has happened here?’ Everyone took it as me confirming they were gone. If I’d said ‘what I’m hearing is they’re gone’ it would have changed everything.”

Percy has been one of the more outspoken members of the anti-LIV movement in the pro ranks, highlighting the human rights abuses carried out by Saudi Arabia, which bankrolls the circuit.

For the most part, LIV and its players have danced around that particular issue.

• Shane Lowry rips into LIV Golf rebels

• Seve Ballesteros’ son hits out at DP World Tour

However, on a sporting level, Percy is still unable to understand the appeal of the breakaway tour, and more than once during the 40-minute conversation accuses the rebels of “arrogance”.

Although he is not afraid to shy away from criticism of the PGA Tour (“We play the same course every week”) he insists he still “loves” playing on the circuit and cannot fathom why players would leave.

“Their contracts came out in court and you’re thinking ‘what are you complaining about the PGA Tour for? These are way more restrictive’,” he says.

“But if you say something on Twitter which is perceived as negative all the robots come out.

“I just don’t understand the guys wanting world ranking points. It’s just narcissistic and arrogant.

“There are things you need to do to get them and LIV doesn’t cover half of it. It’s not a real tour, there’s no way to qualify, it’s 54 holes, no cut, 48 guys. I don’t understand the arrogance. They’re living in a different world.”

• Padraig Harrington wades into LIV Golf row

• Keith Pelley shoots down “feeder tour” claims

“It’s not an actual tour,” Percy adds.

“I don’t understand why they’re calling themselves one because there’s no way to qualify for it. The 54 holes, it is what it is, but how do you get on it? They just say ‘we like you, here’s X amount of dollars’. It’s not real yet.

“My son was watching it on YouTube and Patrick Reed was saying he’s sick of the grind and all that stuff. Now he’s travelling to Asia, he’s playing at Wentworth. The stuff they’re saying doesn’t make any sense to me.”