From the moment that LIV Golf hosted its first tournament in June 2022, it has been completely scrutinized, and many of the players who deferred from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour faced a stiff backlash.
Former World No.1, Lee Westwood, and 12-time DP World Tour winner, Ian Poulter, have been members of the LIV Golf League since the maiden event at Centurion Golf Club in June 2022.
The two Englishmen are co-captains of Majesticks GC, alongside third co-captain, Henrik Stenson, and Sam Horsfield. Westwood made it clear from the very start that he wanted to play on LIV and Poulter shared his reasons for joining the Saudi-backed golf league on the first season of Netflix’s Full Swing.
Westwood and Poulter have faced criticism for playing LIV Golf, but the pair feel as though the narrative is becoming less negative.
“The tide seems to have turned on LIV Golf. It feels like it’s been more accepted.
“I get fewer questions about playing in Russia nowadays. It seems people are understanding what it’s about now and starting to see it as a different form of golf and, starting to enjoy it more.
“People get hung up on this ‘LIV Golf trying to grow the game’ and it seems to wind them up a little bit. I don’t know why it should wind them up to try and do a good thing. But we have literally been growing the game for a quarter of a century.
“Myself, Ian, and a lot of other players, we’ve been growing the game for 25 years. I’ve had golf schools, academies, and junior golf tournaments since the early 2000s,” said Westwood.
The 51-year-old has helped to grow the game of golf over his years on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Across both Tours, he racked up 27 victories which helped him to reach World No.1. Now he sees that he’s continuing to grow the game playing in the LIV Golf League.
Westwood isn’t the only Majesticks GC team member who holds these beliefs, his thoughts are echoed by his close friend and co-captain, “Finally, we’re getting rid of some of the stigma and some of the boring questions that are getting very tired,” added Poulter.
“We can actually start talking about the good things that we have done and we are doing and we’re progressing towards.
“We can create something bigger and better to help grow this game as quickly as we possibly can.”
One way in which Majesticks GC are aiming to grow the game is with Little Sticks, a community impact program. Another option discussed by Westwood and Poulter is supporting the next generation of golfers with a Majesticks GC academy.
A player that Poulter would gladly accept into that academy would be his son Luke, who’s currently playing college golf at the University of Florida.
Discussing the potential of Luke Poulter joining the LIV Golf League and Majesticks GC, The 48-year-old said, “He [Luke] hopefully one day can take over the reins from me as a Majesticks GC player, and we’ll see how his next three years at college go. I’d love nothing more than for Luke to wear the Majesticks GC shirt.
LIV Golf is likely to be appealing to more college golfers and those playing on minor Tours, especially having seen the successes of Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open and Richard Bland at the 2024 Senior PGA Championship and 2024 Senior US Open.
Both of those golfers winning Major tournaments has stunned the narrative that LIV Golf is not as competitive as the PGA Tour or DP World Tour. Westwood believes that LIV Golf gave Bland “a new lease of life and a kick up the backside.”
If that is the case then I’m sure the two-time Senior Major Champion will be glad that he deferred from the DP World Tour to join the Saudi-backed Tour in 2022.
Westwood was also full of praise for DeChambeau, not just for his on-course antics and achievements but also for what the two-time Major Champion is doing to grow the game.
“I think what Bryson’s doing, especially on his YouTube channels, is letting you see another side to him that people didn’t really get a chance to have a deep dive into,” said Westwood.
“I think that’s part of the thing with LIV Golf – they allow you to do that, whereas other tours maybe hang on to your media rights a little too strongly and don’t allow that.”
James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer
James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.
He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.
James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.
You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.
