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The flagship tournament of the DP World Tour (formerly the
European Tour) has been overshadowed by the presence of 17
golfers who have signed up for the divisive LIV Tour -- the
Saudi-backed series rocking golf's status quo.
Northern Ireland's four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, one
of the favourites for the title, has pulled no punches in
criticising his former Ryder Cup colleagues who have jumped ship
for the LIV Tour riches. Read full story
He is joined in a strong field by the likes of U.S. Open
champion Matt Fitzpatrick, 2021 Wentworth winner Billy Horschel
and Spain's former U.S. Open winner John Rahm, all of whom have
had nothing to do with the LIV Tour.
England's Tommy Fleetwood, another player to shun the breakaway
tour, topped the leaderboard with a superb eight-under 64,
finishing with four successive birdies.
He was joined by compatriot Andy Sullivan and Norwegian Viktor
Hovland who made it a three-way tie for the lead when he made a
eagle on the par-five 18th.
Another Englishman, Matthew Jordan, was a shot back in fourth
after six birdies on the back nine propelled him to a
seven-under 65.
Former British Open champion Shane Lowry, who described the
presence of LIV golfers as "disruptive", carded a 66 and held a
share of fifth place.
Of the LIV Tour contingent, Austria's Bernd Wiesberger and
Mexican Abraham Ancerwere the highest-placed on four-under
before play was suspended early and the second round on Friday
called off following the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
TEAM MATES
McIlroy had said it would be "hard to stomach" playing alongside
the likes of former Ryder Cup team mates Ian Poulter, Lee
Westwood and Sergio Garcia at Wentworth and he re-stated his
opposition on Wednesday.
Former Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, a DP World Tour
board member, told Sky Sports that those signed up for the LIV
Tour should not be playing at Wentworth.
"They've decided to leave the collective that is the European
Tour which is a little bit like a trade union where everybody's
in together and then the value of that collective is used to
lever and get commercial opportunities," he said on Thursday.
"Should you leave that collective that's fine, you go on a
different path, but you then shouldn't be allowed to come back
and also play as part of a collective that you left and are
actually hurting economically."
The LIV Tour, which was launched at the first event near London
in June, boasts an eye-popping $255 million in prize-money --
dwarfing what is available on the DP World Tour.
Unlike the powerful PGA Tour, which has suspended players such
as Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson for jumping ship, the DP
World Tour has not followed suit with a court case next year
likely to decide whether they can play in both. Read full story
McIlroy was at least spared any awkwardness as he was paired for
his first round with Fitzpatrick and Horschel in front of large
galleries hiding under umbrellas from the heavy showers.
There was no disguising the tension in the air as the LIV Tour
players began their rounds, but McIlroy let his golf do the
talking as he opened with a four-under 68.
"I played okay, the rain was on and off and that made it
tricky," McIlroy said. "But it's so soft, it's target practice
out there. Four under was fairly pedestrian."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; additional reporting by Dhruv
Munjal, Editing by Ken Ferris, Pritha Sarkar and Ed Osmond)
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