The PGA Tour’s plan to merge with LIV Golf in a landmark deal last week drew reactions from all sides of the sport and from some outside it.
On Saturday, LIV golfer Martin Kaymer added his voice and criticized the PGA Tour players who blasted Saudi Arabia officials and said players who joined the series were selling their souls for “blood money.”
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Martin Kaymer plays a shot from a bunker during the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on Oct. 8, 2022, in Pathum Thani. (Peter Van der Klooster/Getty Images)
“I’m really looking forward now to the reaction of all the people who said, ‘We don’t want to play for blood money.… We don’t want to sell our soul,’” Kaymer told The Telegraph in a story published Saturday.
“Well, now they need to move to Japan [and play on the Japan Tour], in order to stay true to their word.”
Kaymer said even through the criticisms he was going to stay true to himself no matter what.
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Martin Kaymer speaks to the media before the LIV Golf Team Championship – Miami on Oct. 26, 2022, in Doral, Florida. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf/via Getty Images)
“I stood up to my values and stood up to the feeling in my heart,” he told the outlet. “I was brave enough and stood up for myself to a lot of people, also here in Germany who criticized me and gave me s—.
“Funny enough, they have sent me nice messages [since the announcement]. It’s such a hypocritical world that we live in… so, it’s even more important to make your own decisions. Don’t judge too much because when all is said and done, you might do the same thing.”
The 38-year-old Germany native won the PGA Championship in 2019 and the U.S. Open in 2014. He has 23 professional wins.
Martin Kaymer hits a tee shot during the LIV Golf Invitational – Tulsa at Cedar Ridge Country Club on May 13, 2023, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
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Kaymer debuted in LIV Golf in 2022. He didn’t finish better than 12th in any of the seven events he participated in. This year, Kaymer’s best finish came in Washington. He finished in 25th place with a 2-under par. He was 3-under in Tulsa in the prior event but finished in 41st.
