LIV Golf League pro Carlos Ortiz has come under heavy fire over his claim there are players from the breakaway tour that should be at the Olympics.
The majority of golf fans appeared unsympathetic after LIV’s Carlos Ortiz complained about the lack of breakaway tour players at the Olympics.
Ortiz will be competing for Mexico in the Games alongside Abraham Ancer.
Both players joined the rival golf league in 2022 and were ‘sweating’ Olympic qualification.
Golfers in the field for the men’s and women’s events at Le Golf National in Paris were determined by the Official World Golf Ranking.
As you likely know at this point, LIV is not accredited by the governing body.
It means some high-profile names, such as U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, won’t be going for gold.
“It’s unfair,” Ortiz told reporters ahead of the Games.
“You want to have the best golfers right here, but politics somehow manage things still.”
“I still feel there’s golfers that should be here and couldn’t be here because of what has happened, you know.
“I think the Olympic Games definitely should be neutral, you know.
“They should have not turned away ranking players accordingly, especially now that the World Ranking points don’t really work anymore.”
Pressed on a solution, Ortiz said egos must be put to the side.
Who wins the men’s Olympic golf tournament?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) July 31, 2024
“The solution would be people up there to leave their egos on the side and find a common ground,” he said.
“I think there is definitely common ground. And both sides have to give something up to find common ground.
“I believe both of us [LIV Golf and PGA Tour players] should be playing majors. I think we played great golf this year, and it’s hard to get in them.
“I tried to qualify for the British Open. I just barely missed. But you know, there should be a way for us to get in there, a simpler way.”
Ortiz’s comments certainly drew a missed reaction from golf fans on X.
“If he was taken by surprise, that’s on him,” one said. “He got exactly what he signed up for.”
Another added: “Oh my god, these LIV players never stop whining. They took the money. LIV with the consequences.”
This user wrote: “It’s just non-stop complaining from these guys”.
Ortiz wasn’t alone in calling for changes for qualifying for the Olympic Golf Tournament.
In his pre-tournament news conference, Jon Rahm also called for nations to have the freedom to pick whoever they want.
Rahm, who claimed his maiden LIV Golf win last week in Staffordshire, also called for a team event.
“I mean, we are here representing Spain,” Rahm said.
“So I would love to actually, as a partner or somehow, whether as a combined sport or us playing together, to be able to represent Spain.
“That would be extremely nice to share the stage with another player, to do something different, to maybe what we do every other day, right.”
The men’s Olympic Golf Tournament kicks off on 1 August. The women’s event will be played over 7-10 August.
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