Chief executive Keith Pelley has delivered an impassioned defence of the DP World Tour in the face of what he termed the "LIV propaganda machine" following Sergio Garcia's claim that the European tour was on its way to being the fifth biggest in the world.
Eighteen players who have featured in the Saudi-backed breakaway's events – to varying degrees – are in the field for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where Pelley addressed a players’ meeting on Tuesday evening.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Pelley urged the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Garcia not to show disrespect to the DP World Tour by "parroting LIV’s talking points" and dismissed Garcia’s claim that the circuit is a feeder tour set to become the fifth best in the world.
"Please stop this nonsense," Pelley said. "Is this week a tournament that would be on a feeder tour? We are unquestionably number two in the world by a country mile.
"Outside the majors and the one WGC (event) which now remains, our members will play for 144 million (dollars) on the DP World Tour next year and that will rise through every year to 162 million by the time we get to 2027.
"In an ever-changing and challenging global landscape, I think you’ll agree that is a remarkable position for us to be in.
"We have stability for the next five years and a long-term option to continue after that for another eight years. We have certainty in an uncertain time with a very strategic partner (the PGA Tour)."
DP World Tour players who contested the first LIV Golf event in June without permission were banned from the Scottish Open – which is co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour – and fined £100,000, but had those punishments temporarily stayed, with the full appeal set to be heard in February.
Pelley said he respected the decisions of players who had joined LIV, but had explained to each of them "there will be consequences" for breaking the Tour’s rules.
"Some of the players have asked how can you let players on the PGA Tour play on your tour for years, but not allow LIV players to play?" Pelley added.
"And I will acknowledge over time that the PGA Tour have been a competitor, but they have been a partner at the exact same time.
"But the biggest difference is that we stayed in each other’s lanes. They didn’t stage events in Europe and we didn’t stage events in the US. LIV’s first event was in our territory in the UK and they are talking to every one of our stakeholders, every one of our partners, every one of our broadcasters.
"The Asian Tour has taken an event that we had in Morocco and LIV have made Valderrama an offer (to host an event)."
While Pelley has been disappointed with the conduct of some LIV recruits, he did praise former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen for handling his departure in a "professional and classy manner".
"He’s not said one word against us publicly since," Pelley said. "He’s a gentleman and I wish him nothing but the best.
"Others, however, have not conducted themselves in that way and that is my biggest personal disappointment over the past few months."
Asked what he would do if a LIV player lifted the trophy on Sunday, Pelley said: "I would go up and I would shake his hand and I would say, ‘You have beaten 143 players in a 72-hole tournament, which we believe is a true testament to the game of golf."
Meanwhile Talor Gooch has hit back at Billy Horschel after the defending champion criticised the presence of 17 LIV players in the BMW PGA Championship.
Gooch and Abraham Ancer are in the field thanks to being in the world's top 60, but Horschel believes they are being "hypocritical" in chasing ranking points having never shown any interest in the event before.
"I honestly don't think that the American guys who haven’t supported the Tour should be here," Horschel said. "Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch… you’ve never played this tournament, you’ve never supported the DP World Tour. Why are you here?
"You are here for one reason only and that’s to try to get world ranking points because you don’t have it (on LIV Golf). It’s hypocritical because of what some of these guys have said when they said they wanted to play less golf."
In response, Gooch pointed out on social media that Horschel had only played six regular DP World Tour events himself, starting with the BMW PGA Championship in 2019.
"He supports what’s best for his career. Like all of us do," Gooch wrote on Twitter.
In response to being asked if Jon Rahm was correct that he was only at Wentworth to try to earn world ranking points, Gooch replied: "World ranking points and first time I’ve earned a spot into this event. Super excited to play.
"Name a top 50 player in history who hasn’t chased world ranking points…"
