Marc Warren hits out over talk of LIV players 'coming home' to DP World Tour
English duo David Horsey and Matt Southgate also voice opinion on golfers returning from rebel circuit
Marc Warren has produced a masterclass in patience so far in the Hotel Planner Tour’s Grand Final in Mallorca as he bids to be back playing on the DP World Tour next season after a three-year absence. Despite not firing on all cylinders in the second circuit in particular at Club de Golf Alcanada in Port d’Alcudia, the 45-year-old sits joint-seventh and just three spots away from a card-winning position in the season finale.
By the sounds of it, though, Warren, with 500 DP World Tour appearances under his belt, lost his patience with the European players who left the circuit to join LIV Golf a long time ago. Indeed, the four-time winner on the circuit is absolutely livid about some of those players - Sergio Garcia being the latest one - now talking about “coming home” after deciding they don’t want to be part of a proposed 2.0 model on the breakaway circuit.
On the back of both going low in the second round in the Balearic Islands in the battle for 15 coveted cards on the main tour next season, English duo Matthew Southgate and David Horsey also voiced their opinions on players like Garcia and Graeme McDowell talking up how they are excited about competing on the DP World Tour again. It was 45-year-old and World Cup winner Warren, though, who delivered a view that certainly had the most sting to it.
“That line you used about coming home,” he replied to being asked by The Scotsman about his thoughts on the recent developments as players appear to be jumping from a sinking ship, with Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Louis Oosthuizen also being among those who have quit LIV Golf. “Who is coming home out of that list? None of them as far as I am concerned. They didn’t want the European Tour to be their home. Some of them maybe did at one point but made their feelings clear either when they left or before they left that they didn’t think much of the European Tour or DP World Tour.
“I think a lot of people turned their backs very quickly and for no need as well. As a player, I still remember going through it all at the time and it was disappointing. There was uncertainty involved. The guys were getting massive paydays to go, some of them towards the end of their careers. No-one was blaming them.
“If we’d been given the opportunity, we would probably have taken it. That’s just a fact of life. Some of them were getting tens of millions dollars to go. As a group of players - and I’d say I was one of the older ones even at that time - no-one was saying anything bad about them. But they decided to take it upon themselves to talk down our tour to try and make themselves feel better or to try and big up their (new) tour.
“I hope the membership don’t forget that and I just hope the DP World Tour don’t forget that because we owe them nothing. They are the ones that made the decision. Okay, some are great names now but some of them have never even played in Europe and are we going to bend over backwards to give them the opportunity to play.
“Guys are out here this week at the end of a hard season. Guys are going to Tour School this week and next week. They are doing it the right way trying to get on to the DP World Tour. They should have to do the same in my opinion. They shouldn’t get anything given to them because they don’t deserve it.”
Horsey, another four-time DP World Tour winner who has close to 400 appearances on the main circuit under his belt, also spoke openly about the situation after he hauled himself back into the event in Mallorca with a second-round 65.
“I think it is a really difficult situation,” said the UAE-based 41-year-old. “Guy Kinnings (the DP World Tour CEO) has a tough job on his hands. From a membership perspective, as a member you want them to earn their place. They decided to go for the money, so, if they want to come back, they should earn their place.
“At the same time, they add value to the events and, right now with there not being much clarity, if you like, with the PGA Tour deal as of the end of next year, I think Guy has to make sure the fields are as good as they possibly can be to make sure sponsors are interested and we can sustain ourselves, if you like.
“So we’ve got to balance the two, but, from a members’ perspective, I think they should earn their right. If it turns out that there are going to be 15-20 invites every week and they are going to create some category for these guys who haven’t got rankings, which, as far as I am aware, without a ranking you are only allowed seven starts. So, if that starts to get changed, I would be surprised if it gets past the committee first of all.”
Southgate, who has played in more than 300 DP World Tour events, came into this week sitting in the 15th and final card position. On the back of a second-round 65, he’s up to eighth on the projected points list, which is topped by halfway leader Julien Sale of France.
“I think a lot of the older heads who went to LIV did a lot for the tour and a lot for the game,” said Southgate. “On reflection, they probably didn’t make the right decision to go to LIV. I’ve seen bits and pieces with certain players, but, in the main, I don’t think there was ever any malice in it.
“I mean, if you meet Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell or someone like that to name a few, I mean they are gentlemen to play with and they work hard on their games. I think they have achieved enough in the game to deserve a home on the tour because they’ve done so much for it.
“I think certain other players who have dipped in and out of it haven’t really served a huge amount of time on the tour. It is an awkward situation and I think you have to take into account there’s a business to be run and some players are good for the business. But you do want it to be players getting starts on merit. I don’t envy the guys who are making the decisions as it is difficult.”
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