BMW PGA Championship: Graeme McDowell suggests player vote on LIV golfers playing DP World Tour
McDowell after an opening-round 71 at Wentworth: "I don't care about anything a courtroom suggests, this to me is about DP World Tour members and whether they feel like me and the other big names that are playing LIV Golf can bring any value to this Tour moving forward."
Thursday 8 September 2022 17:43, UK
Graeme McDowell wants to see players given a vote on whether to allow LIV rebels to compete on the DP World Tour.
McDowell is one of 15 players in action in the BMW PGA Championship who also competed on the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit in Boston last week, a situation which Rory McIlroy said he found "hard to stomach".
Defending champion Billy Horschel also labelled the likes of Abraham Ancer and Talor Gooch "hypocrites" for making their tournament debuts at Wentworth having previously shown no interest in the event.
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- Gooch hits back at Horschel and Rahm criticism
McDowell, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood are eligible after their suspensions for playing in the inaugural LIV Golf event were temporarily stayed on appeal, with the full hearing set for February.
"I don't care about anything a courtroom suggests, this to me is about DP World Tour members and whether they feel like me and the other big names that are playing LIV Golf can bring any value to this Tour moving forward," McDowell said.
"If they think that's something they don't want, great; let's get to that decision and move on because the lack of clarity is just not good for anybody. "I wish I'd have asked the question at the (players) meeting the other night. What is the process? Is there a way to expedite it? Does it have to happen in a court of law?
"Let's send 326 emails out (the Tour has 326 members) and maybe two videos; one from the LIV players saying we'd love to support this tour eight, 10, 12 times a year and then the other side of it is Keith Pelley's statement this week."
McDowell insisted he would not change his decision to join LIV Golf despite the fact it has been so divisive and even said he "did not hate" the idea of foregoing prize money to be allowed to play on the DP World Tour.
"I mean what am I here for this week? I'm here for competitive golf and the world rankings," he added. "I don't typically play for charity much but if it meant I could come and play golf in Europe and give my prize money to charity every week and that made everyone happy, then let's go.
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"It's a bigger-picture conversation. I just wish there was an easy solution. I hate it's divided people, pulled friendships apart, hurt a Tour I care deeply about which is this one."
Poulter reacts to LIV-branded clothing and "petty comments"
Ian Poulter insisted he wasn't going to get drawn into responding to "petty comments" made by several of the BMW PGA Championship field about LIV golfers getting to tee it up at Wentworth.
Poulter received a mixture of boos and cheers when he was introduced to the crowd ahead of his opening round, while a video of him and Horschel having a debate on the practice putting green during Wednesday's Pro-Am went viral on social media.
"It has been absolutely fine," Poulter insisted. "Not really going to say an awful lot about it. My phone number hasn't changed at all. I have spoken with a few of the boys. Doesn't seem to be a problem from my time that I've been talking to them.
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"We can always play this game of he said, she said, and petty comments. It's just easier if I don't say anything. It makes it easier on everyone to be honest. There's been a lot of petty comments in the last few weeks and I'm not going to comment on them."
DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley asked players not to show disrespect by "parroting LIV's talking points" and requested players not wear LIV-branded clothing, although Poulter was seen wearing Majesticks clothing at Wentworth.
"I've had a lot of different branded shirts in the last number of weeks," Poulter added. "This is a business that I actually own part of, so it has a right to be there.
"I just have had about six different sets of clothes in the last five weeks of which I can't possibly go to the embroiderers and have another set made up for this week. I am here for three weeks, I'm traveling, so this was the set I brought."
Watch the BMW PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday with Featured Groups from 8.30am on Sky Sports Golf.
