Shane Lowry has given a scathing assessment of LIV Golf players being at Wentworth this week for the BMW PGA Championship.
Despite being banned from PGA events, the Saudi-backed rebels are still permitted to play on the DP European Tour, and 18 rebels teed off for the opening round on Thursday, with Abraham Ancer the best of them as he finished four shots off the lead. Play for Friday has since been suspended amid the death of Queen Elizabeth.
No decision has been as yet as to when the tournament will resume, or if it will be played to its 72-hole conclusion. As it stands, Tommy Fleetwood, Anthony Sullivan, and Viktor Hovland all lead on eight-under par.
LIV Golf players are currently unable to play for world ranking points in their own events, meaning many stars will soon struggle to qualify for Major championships. Therefore, occasionally returning to the European Tour is now a vital avenue to continue playing the sport's biggest tournaments.
Billy Horschel has already slammed LIV Golf members for being at Wentworth, claiming they are "taking money out of guys' pockets." And on Wednesday night, former Open champion Lowry also took aim.
"I can't say I'm 100% OK with everyone being here, but some of the guys, I kind of don't mind them being here because of what they've done on the tour over the years," he told Sky Sports. "There are certain guys that I can't stand being here, to be honest, and I don't like it that they're here."
As Greg Norman's venture gathers momentum, the 2023 Ryder Cup has already been severely disrupted by the defection of European captain Henrik Stenson. He has since been replaced by Luke Donald, although a number of top stars on both sides are already ruled out.
And Irish player Lowry, who represented Europe in Wisconsin last year, thinks LIV entrants this week are also motivated by the prospect of irking the status quo: "I think the one thing that has really annoyed me over the last few months is how disruptive they're all trying to be," he added.
"They're here to get world ranking points, but in a way, I think they're here for that and to be disruptive. I don't think they're here for anything else."
And Lowry, 35, who finished his own first round, tied-fifth on six under par, also confirmed there will be certain people he won't be embracing this week: "Anybody who knows me knows I don't like confrontation, I don't like any of that, so I'll say 'Hello' and I'll do my thing.
"That's the way I'll be. The lads, I've known the lads for years and some of them became quite good friends over the last few years. But, I haven't seen them in a long time now, I don't hang out with them.
"I won't be going for dinner with them, but that's just because we haven't seen each other. There are certain lads I'd shake hands with and there are certain lads I wouldn't."
