Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington expresses his sentiments regarding the absence of LIV Golf players in majors, emphasizing their significant contributions to the sport.
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Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington recently shared his perspectives on the current golf landscape, particularly regarding the absence of LIV Golf players from major tournaments.
During an interview with Golf Channel, Harrington expressed his observations from the recent PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. He acknowledged the notable absence of players like Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and others who have joined the Saudi-backed LIV tour.
"I realized last week, God, we missed Bryson [DeChambeau]," Harrington said. "Like Bryson was box office last week and really, really helped that tournament… It was fantastic, interesting, exciting watching."
Harrington emphasized the contributions of LIV players to the overall excitement and competitiveness of golf tournaments. He highlighted the absence of these players as a noticeable void in the game.
"Yeah, we do miss those guys," he continued. "As I've said before, it's hard to believe we miss Patrick Reed. That's just the way it is."
Drawing parallels to his experiences on the European Tour, Harrington suggested that the current sentiments towards LIV Golf could be similar to what players felt about the existence of two strong circuits at the time.
"We didn't realize at the time that the two tours being strong — I felt, in hindsight, looks like it was a great thing," he said.
Harrington believes that a solution between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is crucial for the long-term health of the sport. He emphasized the detrimental consequences of allowing LIV to poach top players from the PGA Tour while also recognizing the importance of not alienating the players who have already joined LIV.
"Rivalries are a good thing in sport, it's always been helpful," he said. "But we do need a solution, I will say that. That's the one thing. Every day for the last two years I've had an opinion and all I've found is wow, it just keeps moving and changing because the scene changes. I think everybody in golf wants a solution."
Earlier this month, Phil Mickelson sparked a stir on social media when he questioned the future of golf if LIV players were consistently excluded from majors. Harrington echoed Mickelson's sentiments, emphasizing the need to address the situation and find a way to incorporate LIV players.
"All I know is, the two probably biggest things, we can't let LIV poach the best players off the PGA Tour for nothing, and we also miss the players who have gone to LIV," Harrington said.
The issue of LIV players' participation in majors and the broader golf landscape remains a complex one. Harrington's perspective, as a highly respected veteran of the game, offers valuable insights into the ongoing debate. As the situation continues to evolve, it is likely that Harrington and others will continue to voice their opinions and advocate for solutions that benefit the sport as a whole.
