LIV Golf star Ian Poulter has admitted he has been forced to 'bite his lip' after the PGA Tour announced yet another big change to its 2024 schedule.
The Tour's overhaul of its calendar next campaign has dominated discussion within the world of golf, splitting the opinion of many. Last week commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed that a number of no-cut, reduced field, 'elevated events' would be contested in 2024.
The changes received widespread backlash from the Tour's critics, with the proposed tournaments drawing great similarities to those contested by their LIV Golf rivals.
The newly introduced elevated events will therefore see the World Golf Championship tournaments take a backseat, with a fan favourite in the WGC World Golf Matchplay being scrapped from the 2024 schedule. Confirming the news, commissioner Monahan said: "I think for right now, for next season's schedule, it didn't work.
"But match play has been a staple out here. It's been a staple on the DP World Tour. I think that will certainly be a consideration as we go forward." He went on: "I would never say anything has run its course but I think right now, you see the direction the PGA Tour's heading in.
"It is with these designated events, it's with the concentration of the best players on the PGA Tour competing in them, and I really don't expect that to change as we go forward." Amid the new revamp, one man who has not been scared to share his views is Poulter.
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Following the initial announcement from the Tour last week, the Englishman was quick to call out his rivals, writing on Twitter: "Sounds somewhat familiar… Now I can’t wait to hear all the back tracking of comments from the last 7 months."
And Poulter has once again taken to social media to have his say on the scrapping of matchplay golf. Seemingly looking to stay quiet on the issue, the 46-year-old - who is best known for being one the sport's most accomplished matchplay golfers - wrote: "And I shall just have to bite my lip….."
One man who has heavily defended the PGA Tour's changes is Poulter's former Ryder Cup partner Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman has played a vocal role in the ongoing battle between the American-based circuit and LIV Golf, but seemed to take a different approach ahead of this week's Players Championship.
Claiming the Saudi-backed circuit had played a big role in the PGA Tour's changes, as well 'benefiting everyone' in professional golf, McIlroy said: "I’m not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour has benefited everyone that plays elite professional golf."
