R&A chief Martin Slumbers slams LIV Golf ahead of 150th Open

R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers speaks to the media ahead of the 150th Open.

R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers issued a thinly-veiled threat over LIV Golf members’ future hopes of playing in The Open after describing the Saudi-backed organisation as “entirely driven by money”.

Slumbers, who was clearly irritated at having to address the matter at his traditional pre-tournament press conference, said he was determined to ensure the week “goes down in history as being about the 150^th Open Championship”.

“I firmly believe that the existing golf eco-system has successfully provided stable pathways for golfers to enter the sport and develop and realise their full potential,” he said on Wednesday lunchtime.

“Professional golfers are entitled to choose where they want to play and to accept the prize money that’s offered to them. I have absolutely no issue with that at all.

“But there is no such thing as a free lunch. I believe the model that we’ve seen at Centurion and Pumpkin Ridge is not in the best long-term interests of the sport as a whole and is entirely driven by money. We believe it undermines the merit-based culture and the spirit of open competition that makes golf so special.

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“I would also like to say that, in my opinion, the continued commentary that this is about ‘growing the game’ is just not credible and, if anything, is harming the perception of our sport, which we are working so hard to improve.

“We believe the game needs to focus on increasing participation, achieving greater diversity and making sure that golf is truly open to all rather than this narrow debate involving a small numbers of players.”

While LIV players won’t be directly banned from playing in next year’s Open, Slumbers did confirm a change to the qualification process, which could effectively cost the rebels their spots at Royal Liverpool and beyond.

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“We will review our exemptions and qualifications criteria for The Open,” he said. “And whilst we do that every year, we absolutely reserve the right to make changes as our committee deems appropriate. Players have to earn their place in The Open and that is fundamental to its ethos and its unique global appeal.”

While he wouldn’t be drawn on LIV’s application for Official World Golf Ranking Points, which was discussed at a meeting of OWGR stakeholders in St Andrews yesterday, Slumbers did address the R&A’s decision not to invite Greg Norman to this momentous week’s celebrations. 

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“This is a very important week for golf,” he said. “This is the oldest championship. It is the original championship. We are absolutely determined to ensure that this goes down in history as being about The 150th Open.

“We decided, based on noise that I was receiving from multiple sources, that that was going to be unlikely [if Norman attended] and so we decided that we didn’t want the distraction. We wanted to ensure that the conversation was all about this week, playing golf, balls in the air tomorrow and the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ on Sunday.

“Greg hasn’t been here since 2010. He didn’t come in 2015. In fact, it’s many years since he’s even been to The Open. So there would have been another reason for that [this year]. It was very clear [we needed to] protect the integrity of this week.”

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