“A lot of people are giving a lot of opinions, and know a hell of a lot about nothing!”

So says nine-time major champion Gary Player in an interview with Sky Sports News last week, in which he refers to the spat between the traditional tours and the new, rebel LIV golf series as something that “saddens me is to see the fighting that is going on and it’s unnecessary.”

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Speaking about the decisions of the 48 players that signed for the first LIV event that finished on Saturday, Player was quite clear with his thoughts.

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“But remember this, the players who are playing there now, they need the money. They’ve got families and I don’t blame them for playing there. There’s not a lot of them who can win on the regular tour anymore, so they are wisely taking the money.”

“There is a place in the sun for both tours. I just hope they settle everything in an amicable way and we go from strength to strength because golf is a passport to the world.”

On the day that Patrick Reed signed up to the rebel tour, Sky Sports News asked Player whether he felt the majors would accommodate those that have opted for the Saudi-backed series. His response was that, “I don’t know what the majors are going to do”, although we now know that the USGA has allowed all qualified players – LIV bound or otherwise – to take part in this week’s US Open at Brookline.

Admitting that the PGA Tour has the best players in the world, he defended the right to choose, saying, “If they so desire to play the LIV tour which is their choice and their freedom…..freedom is on the wane around the world, so they still have their freedom to choose and we should be grateful for that.”

“But…you can’t have both tours, you can’t do that, it’s not going to be allowed according to the rules, as far as I know.”

The 86-year old winner of the 1965 US Open considered there may be lawsuits – “I don’t know” – and concedes that, “you can’t have your cake and eat it.”

“I’d like the people that are playing this tour just to be open and say, ‘Look, I’m playing here because I want to make some money, I have a family’. There’s no disgrace in that. But you can’t have your cake and eat it.”

“Every businessman has a choice to say that….look, I’m leaving because I’m making more money…and don’t forget, the best players will always come from the US tour because that’s where all the international top players are playing.”

Speaking from St. Andrews, home of the 150th Open Championship in July, the three-time Masters champion was asked if he felt players would reconsider their options, should all the major championship organisations refuse to allow them in.

“No, once you’ve made the decision, that’s final, as far as I’m concerned. But remember this, the LIV tour does not have a points system that will enable you to keep playing the tours, so I don’t know what’s going to happen in the majors. If you’re not playing the majors, or the regular tour, where are you going to get your points to give you, and qualify you, to play the majors?”

“This is far more complicated than people make it out to be. A lot of people are giving a lot of opinions and know a hell of a lot about nothing.”

A known associate of Saudi Golf, Player was then asked if he had any reservations about the regime before becoming involved with them.

He responded, “Who are we to criticise people for human rights?” He continued, “If you look at what’s happening around the free world — killing policemen, killing people, burning cities down, shooting children, stabbing people. Are we really in a position to criticise people around the world?”

“People in glass houses mustn’t throw stones. We live in a world where everything is either lawsuits, quick to criticize, people on phones having nothing better than to do, media that manufacture stories.”

“We live in a very strange world today, it’s a very different world.”

"A lot of people are giving a lot of opinions, and know a hell of a lot about nothing!"

9-time major champion Gary Player gives his views on the ongoing dispute over the LIV Series pic.twitter.com/sM6idkAXXQ

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 11, 2022

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