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World number four Hovland joined a chorus of
discontent about the power struggle at the top of the men's game
between LIV Golf and the PGA and DP World Tours.
"It must be fair to say that the PGA Tour has done a damn bad
job," the 26-year-old Hovland, part of Europe's victorious Ryder
Cup team, told Discovery's "FORE!" podcast.
After a year of acrimony in which a succession of big names
jumped ship, the PGA Tour and Europe-based DP World Tour
announced in June a framework agreement with LIV Golf for a
merger and creation of a commercial entity to unite the game.
As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF),
which has bank-rolled LIV Golf, would serve as the exclusive
investor.
The deadline for talks with PIF is looming and the established
tours suffered a fresh blow this month when Masters champion Jon
Rahm made a U-turn to join LIV Golf in a deal worth a reported
$300 million.
"It would be a bit silly to criticize players for leaving,"
Hovland said. "I understand why he (Rahm) left. There's a lot of
money."
Asked if he would follow Rahm, Hovland said: "No, I doubt it."
But he took aim at Tour chiefs he said were not making decisions
in the best interests of the players.
"They are not professional golfers after all," he said. "There
is a great deal of arrogance behind it all."
Hovland, the FedEx champion, said he would play fewer European
events in 2024, adding: "The PGA Tour is not as strong as
before. I just hope that it will return to normality."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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