“I’m all ears now”: Ian Poulter hits back at LIV Golf critics after recent PGA TOUR changes
LIV Golfer Ian Poulter recently mocked the proposed new changes in the PGA Tour saying they sounded "somewhat familiar".
The PGA Tour has proposed new changes in the league including limited field, no cut policy etc. These changes were already in implementation by LIV Golf and in fact, were one of the bedrocks of the controversial series.
It was a commercial that ensured that all players would be around for the entirety of the tournament. With the PGA Tour bringing in these changes, the events would now be more attractive to sponsors.
Ian Poulter joined Lee Westwood and several other LIV Golf players in joking about these new changes.
Westwood responded to the PGA Tour by focusing on what these changes would mean for the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour. While they also criticized the OWGR for favoring the PGA Tour.
Ian Poulter replied to Westwood on social media saying:
"When will the penny drop with so many of what’s actually happened here."
Poulter also took a dig at the media who had criticised the Saudi-backed league's no-cut policy.
"Sounds very similar to another product that’s been spoken so badly about by media and commentators. I’m all ears now."
He and Lee Westwood believe the backlash that was thrown at LIV Golf should also now be given to the PGA Tour.
"Can’t wait to hear all the back tracking of comments from the last 7 months."
"Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery – it’s the sincerest form of learning" - Ian Poulter
It has to be admitted that the changes that the PGA Tour hopes to introduce are similar to what LIV Golf did a year back.
Even the PGA Tour's most vocal supporter, Rory McIlroy, accepted LIV Golf played a part in the PGA Tour's efforts to make their new designated events smaller in terms of field size and to eliminate the cut to ensure their top players play all four rounds.
Many LIV Golf players and fans celebrated this latest PGA Tour news. Small fields with no cuts were a big part of the Saudi-backed event. The supporters of the series pushed this aspect as a positive, while detractors argued it was negative.
These points were also used by some as reasons LIV Golf should not be awarded ranking points, so having the PGA Tour adopt a similar policy for their biggest events on the schedule will definitely be a talking point.
Ian Poulter believes that CEO of the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan is just trying to copy LIV Golf's model. He used George Bernard Shaw's words to articulate his thoughts.
"Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery – it’s the sincerest form of learning."
Well, looks like it will be another revolutionary year for international golf.