By Matt Smith
There has been a lot of negative talk surrounding LIV Golf players taking part in thew 150th Open Championship at St Andrews this week — Greg Norman was disinvited from the Champions Dinner, players such as Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka were left out of the marquee groups, and Ian Poulter was even booed as he stood on the first tee.
But a couple of those 24 players who have committed to the LIV Golf Invitational Series — a tour that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour staunchly oppose and have banned any of their players who have competed in the two LIV events so far — have revealed that rather than hinder them, the negative vibes have pulled them closer together.
Abraham Ancer insisted there was “a really cool camaraderie between us” after completing his second round, and Talor Gooch added: “Everybody, it feels like, is against us, and that’s OK. It’s kind of banded us together, I think.”
Dustin Johnson, the former world No. 1 who is also now a LIV golfer, insists he does not listen to the negative news, choosing to ignore it all instead. “I don’t really know what you’re talking about,” DJ said when asked about recent comments against the LIV Golf series. “I don’t read anything. So I wouldn’t know what you were saying or if there was anything negative being said. It doesn’t bother me because obviously, everyone has their own opinion and I have mine, and the only one I care about is mine.”
It seems to be a common practice among the LIV players. Poulter added: “I don’t want to know. You can tell me, I’m not going to listen. I’m here to play golf,” while Sergio García chimed in with: “I don’t know how to read any more.”
With DJ and others near the top of the leaderboard, it would certainly make fascinating viewing if the Claret Jug were to be handed over to one of these LIV-ers on Sunday evening.
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