Leave it to the Olympics to refuel the rhetoric between LIV golfers and those from the PGA Tour.
LIV golfers arrived in Paris with their talking points, primarily expressing their displeasure with the “politics” that have prevented more golfers from the Saudi-backed league from representing their country.
Jupiter’s Rory McIlroy, who is representing Ireland, shot back, showing no sympathy for those cashing checks from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. McIlroy was LIV’s biggest detractor among PGA Tour players before taking a softer stance lately.
“If you want to qualify for the Olympics, you knew what you had to do,” McIlroy said ahead of Thursday’s opening day of competition at Le Golf National, about 25 miles outside of Paris. “Just like if you wanted to qualify for the Ryder Cup, you knew what you had to do. They were very aware of the decision they made when they did.
“I don’t think there’s any other way to do (Olympic qualifying) because it’s hard to compare the golf that they play to the golf that we play. That’s the reason they didn’t get world ranking points, right.”
The gloves are off, again.
Seven LIV golfers representing four countries are in Paris. But that’s not enough, they say. Spain’s Jon Rahm and David Puig. Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, both Palm Beach County residents. Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer. Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
All were selected, as were the other 53 men and 60 women, based on world ranking points.
The top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking automatically are in the Olympics field, with a maximum of four per country, and each country is guaranteed two spots for the two top-ranked players from that country.
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The OWGR board denied LIV’s application for points about 10 months ago. Fairly or unfairly – and the board laid out their reasons – that’s something everyone who joined LIV knew was a possibility.
Including Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau, the U.S. Open winner and runner-up at the PGA Championship, is No. 9 in the world, a rare LIV golfer whose ranking has improved. He was No. 29 when he made the move to LIV two years ago. The U.S. team includes No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Xander Schauffele, No. 5 Wyndham Clark and No. 6 Collin Morikawa. Patrick Cantlay, ranked one spot ahead of DeChambeau, is not in Paris.
Would DeChambeau have made the U.S. team if LIV results were included? That’s not a given considering the format and strength of field. His highest LIV finish this year is a T3.
“The situation in golf right now, it’s unfair,” Ortiz said. “Especially Olympic Games, you want to have the best golfers right here, but politics somehow manage things still.
“I still feel there’s golfers that should be here and couldn’t be here because of what has happened. I think the Olympic Games definitely should be neutral. They should have not turned away ranking players accordingly, especially now that the world ranking points don’t really work anymore.”
Rahm and Ancer suggested each country choose their own golfers.
PGA Tour and LIV golf heavyweights continue to negotiate 14 months after a framework agreement was reached that would unite the leagues. Talks have been slow with conflicting information trickling out in the past nine months that at times is optimistic about a deal being reached and at times predicting the two sides remain far apart.
Ortiz is not alone when he says the best solution for all players to have a fair shot at the Olympics, or Ryder Cup, or the four majors is for the sides to find common ground.
“The solution would be people up there to leave their egos on the side and find a common ground,” Ortiz said. “I think there is definitely common ground… and both sides have to give something up to find common ground.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rory McIlroy has little sympathy for LIV golfers upset at Olympic golf
