Jon Rahm and Billy Horschel rip LIV Golf 'hypocrites' playing at European Tour
Several LIV golfers are playing DP World Tour event despite saying they wanted to play less
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Short of money, one of the key factors in golfers defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf was how they wouldn't have to play as much golf as they were originally.
When several of them participated in the BMW PGA Championship for the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour), some who stayed loyal certainly took notice, including the No. 6 player in the world in Jon Rahm.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Horschel and Jon Rahm of Spain talk together on the 11th green during the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on Aug. 12, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Rahm says that LIV players are only playing in the tournament to improve their rankings, and have no idea about the history of DP.
"What I don’t understand is some players that have never shown any interest in the European Tour, have never shown any interest in playing this event, are being given an opportunity just because they can get World Ranking points," he said, via the New York Post.
Rahm added that a "good friend" of his, who has participated in over 20 DP World Tour events, isn't playing at the BMW because players like Talor Gooch and Abraham Ancer joined the field.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Others are being given an opportunity when they couldn’t care any less about the event. They don’t know. They don’t care. They don’t know the history of this event," Rahm said. "They are only here because they are trying to get World Ranking points and trying to finish in the top-50. That’s clear as day."
Jon Rahm of Spain tees off on the 12th hole during Day One of The Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on Oct. 7, 2021 in Madrid, Spain. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
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Billy Horschel, the 15th-ranked player in the world, echoed Rahm's comments.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Why are you here? You are here for one reason only and that’s to try to get World Ranking points because you don’t have them [in LIV Golf]," he said.
He also went as far as to call some of the LIV members "hypocrites" for going against their own mantra about playing less golf.
"It’s hypocritical because of what some of these guys have said this week, when they said they wanted to play less golf,"the defending BMW PGA champion added. "It’s pretty hypocritical to come over here and play outside LIV when your big thing was to spend more time with family and want to play less golf."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"…The guys that have publicly stated they want to play less, those are the hypocrites. Just be clear on that. It’s not every one of them. And there are a few of those hypocrites here this week because they wanted to play less, but they are playing another event that’s not a LIV event."
Players who left the DP World Tour for LIV were originally banned from their original tour, but a "stay" issued back in July has put that punishment on hold.
Billy Horschel of The United States plays a shot during a practice round prior to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on Sept. 6, 2022 in Virginia Water, England. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LIV is off this weekend, but will return on Sept. 16 in Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms.