PGA Tour ace Padraig Harrington details LIV Golf snub and addresses Saudi links

24 April 2023 , 21:51

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Padraig Harrington snubbed LIV Golf and Greg Norman (Image: Getty Images)

Two-time major champion and PGA Tour loyalist Padraig Harrington has opened up on how he decided to snub an offer from the controversial LIV Golf Series.

LIV has lured in a number of golf's biggest names since forming last summer, including the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith. The decision to join the Saudi-funded series has come at a cost though, with all those making the controversial switch being issued bans from the PGA Tour.

As well as some of America's star players, a number of stalwarts from the European game have signed on the dotted line with Greg Norman, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia all part of the LIV roster.

One European star who opted not to make the Saudi switch though was Harrington. The Irishman - who captained all three of Poulter, Westwood and Garcia at the 2021 Ryder Cup - recently opened up on being offered a place by Norman and co.

Discussing the opportunity on RTE's Late Late Show, Harrington said: "I got a text message [about joining] but I didn’t want the temptation. If somebody comes around and offers you a hundred million, five hundred million, that's a lot of temptation. It's a lot of temptation and I didn't want it. Sometimes you just don't need it."

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Padraig Harrington opted to turn down LIV Golf (Getty Images)

The two-time major champion has instead opted to stay loyal to the PGA Tour, who have found themselves locked in battle with LIV at the top of the professional game. Despite the animosity between the two tours, Harrington admitted he has stayed friends with those who have made the move.

"I'm not going but I've lots of friends who go and they're still my friends. I can see why people would go and I can see the good of it in terms of inclusion if things change," he added. Some of the guys have gone for free, but there's a lot of prize money.

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Padraig Harrington captained a number of LIV stars at the Ryder Cup (AP)

"Whether they should go or not is up to the individuals. Some of the guys who've gone wouldn't have been in good financial situations." The biggest question mark hanging over LIV Golf is its funding from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, with often being coined a sportswashing exercise from the Middle Eastern state.

Amid the poor human rights record of Saudi Arabia, Harrington believes the country's involvement in sport could pave the way for change. The Irishman commented: "I wouldn't want to live in Saudi Arabia as it is now, but I do believe inclusion changes things. The more international inclusion of Saudi Arabia, the more the people will go, 'You know what – we want to change things.'"

Joshua Lees