Tommy Fleetwood’s appearance at the LIV Golf event in Las Vegas in February caused quite a stir on social media. It also led fans to speculate about the golfer’s intentions in attending the LIV event. However, the English professional golfer has now clarified the true purpose behind his visit to the tournament.
Fleetwood explained that while there’s a lot of discussion about the Saudi-backed league, not many people experience what the tournaments are like. He mentioned that this curiosity led him to visit the Las Vegas Country Club in Nevada, considering he had a free morning to spare.
Additionally, Tommy Fleetwood mentioned that some of his friends are involved with the league, and even his trainer Butch Harmon works there, whom Fleetwood went to meet.
Tommy Fleetwood said (via Yahoo Sports):
“I really didn’t think that much about it. I was over there, lots of us talk about LIV but never see it so I wanted to see what a tournament was like. There are also so many people there that we don’t see any more, who I would still class as friends. Players, people who work on the tour, my trainer works there. So I had a free morning, went for a few hours and that was it.”
In the end, the 33-year-old golfer also clarified that he knew what he was doing and that attending the tournament was not at all distracting for him.
When Tommy Fleetwood Rejected LIV’s Offer In January
With the onset of the third season of the LIV league, several PGA Tour players made the jump to the Saudi-backed league. Among them were Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Lucas Herbert.
Tommy Fleetwood was also presented with a highly lucrative offer from the LIV league, rumored to be in the “tens of millions.” Had the deal been materialized, he would have joined Jon Rahm‘s newly established team, Legion XIII. Nevertheless, Fleetwood declined the proposal.
Speaking about his decision to reject the LIV offer, Fleetwood said (via BBC):
“I’ll always be doing what I think is best for my golf game and at the moment that is what I am doing.”
He additionally elaborated on how the LIV league is chasing golfers, emphasizing that it’s ultimately the players’ decision whether to switch or stick to the PGA Tour. Furthermore, he expressed that he is still chasing his childhood dream of becoming the best golfer:
“I’m still chasing my childhood dreams and still trying to be the best golfer I can be. Who knows if that changes in the future but for now that’s just where I want to be.”
Thus, Fleetwood’s loyalty to the Tour spoke volumes of his decision regarding his LIV offer rejection and why him being at a LIV event wasn’t that big of a deal.
