As golf’s civil war continues to drag on, fans across the sport are becoming less interested. Television broadcasts see declined viewership numbers on what seems like a weekly basis, and the continued talk of bringing the game back together is only creating a deeper sense of frustration.
Matt Fitzpatrick sees it in a similar light.
The Englishman returned to the Old Course at St. Andrews this week to defend his title at the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which has quickly turned into the rendezvous point for both sides of the game.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, LIV Golf’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan and DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings are all on site in Scotland – Monahan and Al-Rumayyan played together at Carnoustie on Thursday – as are players from the various leagues including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry.
When asked if there’s a “feeling that this week (is) a little bit of coming together for golf,” Fitzpatrick didn’t beat around the bush.
“I think in terms of bringing the game together this week, I’m passed the point of caring,” Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. “I just don’t care. Me saying things to the PGA Tour board, me saying things to the DP World Tour board, it’s not going to change, so why am I going to waste my time talking about it?”
Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA Tour, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, interact at the 10th tee and during day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 at Carnoustie Golf Links on October 03, 2024 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
As for the bad blood between the two sides, the world No. 29 doesn’t see it dissolving quite yet.
“Not necessarily. I think there’s probably some players in the States, their feelings, I don’t think they would be very happy. If I’m probably brutally honest, at the start, I probably was pretty against, and it was not of any interest to me to go and play LIV. But I’ve always said that I understood why people went. I’ve got no issues with that. No issues at all.
“My issue was always, at the start, anyway, is you’ve gone over there. Like I don’t feel like it’s fair for you to try and come back and play, as well. But I would say I’ve changed on that now. Again, I just don’t care. I just want to focus on myself. I think that’s what’s important, and try and play the best golf I can, and that’s, I don’t want to get 10 years down the road, obviously, and look back and I’m not going to sit there and think, ‘Oh, I wish I’d got more involved in that LIV and PGA Tour.’
“It’s like, you’re wasting your time.”
On the golf course Thursday, Fitzpatrick shot a 4-under 68 and is tied for 49th. He’ll head to Kingsbarns on Friday before enjoying the Old Course on Saturday.