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Tiger Woods Slams LIV Golf During Press Conference for Lack of Competitiveness, Tradition and Legacy

Tiger Woods has officially taken his stand against LIV Golf.

The 15-time PGA Tour major championship winner had his press conference on Tuesday at The Open Championship. He talked about the importance of competitiveness – and how the Saudi-backed venture had none of that.

“What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what’s the incentive to practice?” Woods said. “What’s the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You’re just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They’re playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.”

This has been a common talking point for many players who have stayed loyal to the PGA Tour. Guaranteed money versus earning your legacy. For example, the week prior to the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy earned $1.566 million for his win at the RBC Canadian Open, while Charl Schwartzel won $4.75 million for his 54-hole victory at LIV Golf’s inaugural event in London.

“My stance on it has been pretty clear from the start: It’s not something that I want to participate in,” McIlroy said at the time. “For me, I want to play on the PGA Tour against the best players in the world.”

LIV Golf Defectors Get Dose of Reality from Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods also touched on tradition and legacy, but not for his own sake. Since LIV Golf began, the defectors have been suspended from playing in PGA Tour events. But – other than the PGA Championship – major championships are not hosted by the PGA Tour, so the LIV Golf participants have been allowed to compete. Woods warned that it might not be the case in the future.

“Some of these players may not ever get a chance to play in major championships,” he explained. “That is a possibility. We don’t know that for sure yet. It’s up to all the major championship bodies to make that determination.”

He continued: “Some players will never, ever get a chance to play in a major championship. They’ll never get a chance to experience [playing at St Andrews] or walking down the fairways at Augusta National.”

Boom, there it is.

After years of stoic demeanor and a rough-around-the-edges personality during his prime, Tiger Woods’ media appearances nowadays are must-watch. Now at the age of 46, the guy just tells it like it is.