LIV Golf participant Lee Westwood acknowledged that by becoming a member of the wrongful league, they weren’t only golfing professionals however athletes. He further said that golf had become boring and rigid, and new blood such as the Saudi-backed circuit brought that new change.
Lee Westwood is now considered one of the best golf players in England, he has 44 professional victories. In his career, which he joined the LIV Golf circuit in 2022 he has 25 wins under his belt on the DP World Tour.
In the latest episode of Inside the Ropes, the Majesticks GC’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Westwood discussed the impact LIV Golf has had on their careers and lives. Addressing the criticism directed at the PIF-sponsored circuit, he remarked that people are often afraid of change.
“The biggest difference, I think, I’ve seen over the last 30 years is we used to be golfers, and now we’re sportsmen,” he said. “You see pop stars and film stars playing golf now, so it’s a bit cooler to play. I’ve thought for quite some time that golf’s gotten a bit, sort of, staid—stuck in its ways, like a big machine, just the cogs grinding over and over. A bit of a dinosaur, really.”
He added that LIV was the ‘shot in the arm’ that golf needed to appeal to the youngsters.
“When I took the game up, it was a game for doctors, lawyers, and civil servants,” he added. “So, yeah, it’s certainly changed. It’s not an old man’s game like it was when I started playing. It was never meant to be the same as everything else. It’s never meant to compete with the majors. It’s entertainment.”
Has Lee Westwood won on the LIV Golf circuit?
English golfer Lee Westwood has played in three seasons on the LIV Golf tour but has yet to taste victory. In the first season playing, seven events are participated, ranking in 15th position in the individual standing, and receiving two ten plus performances. Cantlay’s best performance in the event was a solo fourth place at the LIV Golf Boston.
The next year Westwood slipped to the 45th position and did not even make a single top ten list. The year’s best showing was 17th place at LIV Golf Jeddah.
This season was little better for the English veteran, as he was ranked 36th in the competition’s individual standings. A T3 finish at the LIV Golf Nashville is his best performance this year and his third top-ten result on the Saudi-backed tour.