Thomas Pieters hits out at ‘hypocrites’ of breakaway tour
Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters has labelled those that criticise the supply of the cash behind Greg Norman’s LIV Golf “hypocritical”.
Pieters was solely confirmed as a signing for the breakaway group in February, admitting that the “lonely” and “unhappy” existence on the PGA Tour was one of many causes behind his transfer.
The 31-year-old completed fourth on the 2017 Masters and has been ranked as excessive as No.23 on the planet.
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In an interview with Barstool’s Fore Play podcast, Pieters did not disguise the explanation for his swap, conceding that “financially, it (LIV) is superb”.
The supply of LIV Golf’s cash has been probably the most controversial points of the collection, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF) behind the tour.
“I do know my cash comes from an American-based firm,” mentioned Pieters, which is technically true, as an organization referred to as LIV Golf Investments runs the tour. The bulk shareholder in LIV Golf Investments, nonetheless, is the PIF.
However accusations that LIV Golf is nothing greater than an try by Saudi Arabia to “sportswash” the nation’s questionable human rights report do not sit nicely with Pieters.
“I feel the PIF is in about 150 boards if I am not flawed, so something you contact every day is funded by Saudi cash, so I feel it’s kind of hypocritical, a number of the issues which are being mentioned,” Pieters defined.
“Clearly the issues which have occurred, they’re horrible. I am right here to play golf. It is not likely one thing I wish to go into. I knew that query was going to be requested, however I do not actually have a solution for that.”
Pieters defined that whereas the PGA Tour might look interesting from a distance, the fact is much completely different.
“As a child you clearly dream about enjoying on the PGA Tour, profitable golf tournaments. I performed a 12 months on the PGA Tour. I didn’t prefer it,” he mentioned.
“I bought very homesick, very lonely, so for me that was sort of like, tick the field, I attempted it over there, wasn’t my factor after which LIV got here round proper on the proper time.
“Everyone who was enjoying on it final 12 months that I talked to mentioned it was very thrilling, new and that was one thing that basically spoke to me.
“Final week, we went out to dinner a pair nights, for me that is regular,” he mentioned. ‘It is humorous as a result of Harold (Varner III) mentioned, ‘Man we by no means did this on the PGA Tour,’ and I discover that just a little bit unhappy.”
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