PGA Tour: Matt Fitzpatrick ‘doesn’t care’ about divide, sounds off

Matthew Fitzpatrick didn’t maintain again on the Dwelling of Golf on Wednesday.

Talking forward of this week’s Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship, of which he arrives because the defending champion, the 2022 U.S. Open winner fielded a query concerning the prospects of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf coming collectively. In any case, 14 LIV gamers will tee it up on the DP World Tour this week. Commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan are additionally within the pro-am draw and can even play alongside each other in spherical one. Therefore, this matter of re-unification has turn out to be a pertinent dialogue.

“By way of bringing the sport collectively this week, I’m previous the purpose of caring. I simply don’t care,” Fitzpatrick stated.

“Me saying issues to the PGA Tour board, me saying issues to the DP World Tour board, it’s not going to alter, so why am I going to waste my time speaking about it.”

Fitzpatrick then continued to present his blunt evaluation of the present scenario.

“If I’m brutally sincere, at first, I in all probability was fairly towards it, and it was not of any curiosity to me to go and play LIV. However I’ve at all times stated that I understood why folks went. I’ve acquired no points with that. No points in any respect,” the Englishman stated.

“My problem was at all times, at first, anyway, is you’ve gone over there. Like, I don’t really feel prefer it’s honest so that you can attempt to come again and play, as properly. However I’d say I’ve modified that now. Once more, I simply don’t care. I simply wish to deal with myself. I believe that’s what’s most essential, if I attempt to play the very best golf I can. I don’t wish to get ten years down the street, clearly, and look again, I’m not going to sit down there and suppose, oh, I want I’d acquired extra concerned in that LIV and PGA Tour. It’s like, you’re losing your time.”

That stated, as an avid Sheffield United fan and a supporter of English soccer general, Fitzpatrick provided a candid answer to professional golf’s schism.

“My concept could be you’ve mainly a Premier League, championship league, of golf, whether or not LIV is the Premier League or PGA Tour is the Premiere League, no matter it’s, after which you may deliver everybody collectively. And there’s extra of a relegation/promotion; there’s a number of extra tales there, and you’ll work your means up. If everybody was collectively, I really feel like that may be extra helpful,” Fitzpatrick defined.

Picture by Richard Heathcote/Getty Photographs

“However as an enormous soccer fan, there’s acquired to be extra tales within the regulation/promotion somewhat than personally what I believe there’s now. I do know LIV is a closed store, and so they have a group side, which, as a soccer fan, I like group stuff. The Ryder Cup is superb. All that stuff is nice. So I’m not totally towards the group side but when it a closed store there’s not too many story strains in there. However on the identical time, the PGA Tour is changing into a little bit bit extra like that. What codecs are they going to do?

“Is there a 70-man area? I don’t know. There’s folks which might be smarter than me are concerned. I’m very glad that Andy Cohen and the Strategic Sports activities Group are concerned within the PGA Tour now. They know the best way to run companies and know what to do, and they’re sensible folks, smarter than me, and I’d say smarter than nearly all of the PGA Tour gamers and golfers.”

Fitzpatrick alluded to the PGA Tour’s new Signature Occasion construction, which options elevated purses and restricted fields. It’s the whos-who of the PGA Tour, the highest gamers competing aspect by aspect. However they’ve additionally created two circuits inside the tour: these on the high and those that will not be. The highest 50 gamers from the earlier 12 months’s FedEx Cup standings qualify for all eight Signature Occasions within the continuing season, leaving 20 spots up for grabs for different gamers. The Aon Subsequent 10 and Swing 5 have carried out an sufficient job figuring out who joins these elite fields, however they’re nonetheless a lot totally different from what most PGA Tour occasions used to encompass: 120 gamers with extra storylines and alternatives for youthful and journeymen gamers.

These full-field tournaments nonetheless exist, however quite a few high gamers skip a lot of them, curating their schedules across the Signature Occasions.

“I believe the sport of golf could be very particular person, and also you’ve acquired to be egocentric,” Fitzpatrick added.

“If you wish to be the very best you may, you’ve acquired to be egocentric, and I believe the factor that at all times makes me chuckle is, you recognize, the very best gamers do what’s finest for them, and I really feel like typically they get pointless warmth for it after they do what they suppose is finest for them and what makes their life simpler and what makes their life higher and what they will obtain extra. That’s, for me, what’s essential.”

No marvel why Fitzpatrick doesn’t care. He can solely deal with himself, particularly throughout this era of golf historical past that’s so risky and hostile, whereas the way forward for the game stays up within the air.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.