One of the big unknown questions in golf is whether or not a LIV Golf player will be welcomed back to the PGA Tour if they decide to return.
If it were up to Matt Fitzpatrick, the answer would be no.
Fitzpatrick was asked this week by Sky Sports about the chance that LIV golfers might decide to return to the PGA Tour and the 28-year-old said that if it were his call, he would tell them they weren’t welcome.
“I would not let people come back if they’ve gone to LIV. I just wouldn’t,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think it would be incredibly unfair of the PGA Tour to (allow) that. I’d be staggered if they did allow it. I think if you spoke to Tiger Woods he’d probably have the same stance. You’ve left a tour — I’m talking about the top players — and have been here for so long and done so well, and now you’ve left for something you think is better, but maybe it’s not.”
“I would not let people come back. I think that’s incredibly unfair. I’d be staggered if they did allow them”
Asked Matt Fitzpatrick about players with buyer’s remorse potentially trying to return to the PGA Tour, and the dilemma of Ryder Cup eligibility pic.twitter.com/5trNnczGSj
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) March 9, 2023
Fitzpatrick then doubled down during an appearance on a Thursday appearance on the Fore Play podcast.
“You’ve made your choice to jump ship because you think there’s a better product out there, so that’s where you’ve gone,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t think you should be allowed back. You wanted to go play somewhere for more money, for less events, for all the reasons that they give. So, why should you be able to come back and take someone else’s spot who’s committed to the PGA Tour? That would be my argument.”
It’s going to happen eventually, especially if LIV Golf fades into obscurity with its minuscule TV ratings. We’re guessing that the answer might be a little different depending on which golfer asks for a mulligan.
[LBS, Fore Play, Jamie Weir]
