Former PGA Tour pro says the Presidents Cup without LIV golfers is 'bad for all golf fans,' calls officials 'clowns'

Former PGA Tour pro John Peterson wasn't happy with the Presidents Cup field. Following the first round, he expressed that the absence of LIV Golf players was making the tournament weaker for the fans.

The Presidents Cup 2024 began on Thursday, September 26, with the four-ball session. This marks the second consecutive edition of the event without LIV Golf professionals, as they were not eligible to compete.

After the opening round, Peterson voiced his disappointment on X.

"Watching the Presidents Cup is so tough," he said. "We have a reigning Major champion not playing for the US. We have a known killer in team golf not playing in Brooks Koepka. We have Joaquin Niemann and Cam Smith not playing.

"It’s bad for all golf fans…. I just wish all the clowns would quit playing politics and put the best teams on the golf course because this TV sucks," he added.

Earlier this month, Joaquin Niemann had also expressed disappointment at not being part of the Presidents Cup.

"It’s supposed to be the best golfers around the world & they’re not doing that right now," he said, as per the Bunkered.

The LIV Golf professionals couldn't compete at the biennial event, as it is a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. For the uninitiated, the PGA Tour has banned players from the Saudi-backed circuit from competing in their events. While many professionals have participated in several DP World Tour events through various means, that hasn't been the case on the PGA Tour.

Last year, Brooks Koepka made it to the US Ryder Cup squad after having a phenomenal season. He was one of the six picks by captain Zach Johnson. However, that was only possible because it was not a PGA Tour event.

Presidents Cup, Day 2 schedule explored

Similar to Thursday, the second day of the Presidents Cup will also have a single session. After playing fourball on Day 1, both teams will now compete in the foursomes on Friday, September 27.

Here's a look at the schedule and pairings for the Friday foursomes (all times ET):

1:05 p.m.: Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay vs. Hideki Matsuyama/Sungjae Im
1:19 p.m.: Sahith Theegala/Collin Morikawa vs. Adam Scott/Taylor Pendrith
1:33 p.m.: Max Homa/Brian Harman vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout/Jason Day
1:47 p.m.: Wyndham Clark/Tony Finau vs. Corey Conners/Mackenzie Hughes
2:01 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler/Russell Henley vs. Si Woo Kim/Ben An