Lee Westwood has claimed life was “getting lonely” on the PGA and DP World Tours. The 49-year-old was one of the biggest names to defect to the controversial LIV series and will appear in the event’s Asian debut at Stonehill in Bangkok this week.
Having been a professional golfer for almost 30 years, the Englishman explained that his huge experience on the circuit was becoming a burden. He said: “I walk up and down the range the last few years, two, three years, whether it be a PGA Tour event or European Tour event, and I have to look at the names on the bags.
“I don't know 75 percent of the players out there. That was starting to get a bit lonely for me." Westwood explained the reason life on Tour had become more isolated was because he lacked common ground with many of the younger players.
He said: “It's one of the disadvantages of playing well into a ripe old age. My son would have more in common with most people on the range than I would. It's nice to be out with people like Ian and Henrik [Stenson] and Phil [Mickelson] and guys more my age.”
On a positive note, the multi-time major runner-up did mention his close relationship with a fellow veteran, his LIV Majestics GC teammate, Ian Poulter. “I think we pretty much know all there is to know about each other now,” he added.
“This is my 29th year out here, and I think it's about 25 for Ian, and we've spent a lot of that time together. There's not a lot else to know. What you see is what you get here, I'm afraid.”
LIV and the PGA Tour are set to go head to head in a trial after players who joined the Saudi-backed series were banned by the PGA. The trial is scheduled for early next year, and the prickly exchange proved tensions are rising.
Before the trial arrives, Westwood will play in LIV’s final four events of the year and he revealed he is unsure when he would next play on the DP World Tour. Once the LIV Golf tour wraps up for the 2022 season at the end of next month, Westwood admitted he may not play again until 2023.
“You know, I honestly don’t know,” he said last month. “It gives me options, doesn’t it? I might play a couple in there.
“I mean, I’m the kind of player that needs to tick over a little bit, but just recently, I’ve been taking four weeks off and then finishing fourth last week and played well this week. I can just play it by ear.”
