LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: LONDON

June 8, 2022

Laurie Canter

Sam Horsfield

Ian Poulter

Lee Westwood

Centurion Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us for the ten o'clock press conference featuring team math he ticks, welcome, guys. We have Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield, Ian Poulter and Laurie Canter joining us today.

Want to start by asking you guys about the draft. The media were not able to attend. I would love for you to give a little bit of color about what last night was like, the whole experience and let these guys know what it was all about. Start with you.

LEE WESTWOOD: Lee it was good. It was fun. I've never been involved in a draft before. It was something very different. Pressure on the captains to make good choices which I think Ian did.

Yeah, it was a good time had by all I think.

LAURIE CANTER: Yeah, just touching on what Westy just said, it was really fun. To be able to go to like a draft like that where growing up in the States, watching NFL, NBA, all those drafts, it was really cool to be a part of it and it was fun.

IAN POULTER: As team captain, we had the ability to be able to select great guys from the stable of people. The draft format itself was super fun to add two youngsters to the ever-oldie -- the two oldies that we have on the team to balance that out. It was not only a great night, but I think we established a fantastic team.

SAM HORSFIELD: Yeah, I enjoyed it. I think there was quite a lot of excitement in the room about who was going to pick win and I think certainly something as it grows, could be a fun thing to watch.

ARI FLEISCHER: You've got a lot of experience in Ryder Cup. What does that tell you about team golf, and what are you going to be looking for here?

IAN POULTER: Well, it's no secret, I've loved playing team events ever since I played my first one in 2004 it. Loved every part of every Ryder Cup that I've ever played.

And you know, this gives us the ability to have that level of golf every week we play. We've built friendships with every team member that we've had within those teams and become super close. Lee has played 11. I've played 7.

So to be able to get close to your teammates is something very special that we will all cherish for a long time, and to have that ability to kind of hand over, give some of the knowledge and some of the inside information that Lee and I have certainly had in all of that experience, it's great for us to be able to do that and hopefully can help the young guys come through, too.

Q. To Ian or Lee, whoever wants to answer it, your team was sort of out on the Internet ahead of the draft last night. Was it predetermined; it wasn't a full draft, as it were?

IAN POULTER: Well, as captain, we have the ability to go in and select the players that we want to pull together. So yeah, we've got four guys here that we're really happy -- three guys that we're really happy with.

Q. Lee, slight surprise you weren't one of the captains. Any particular reason for that?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think the captaincy role is a role that's made for Ian, isn't it.

IAN POULTER: Lee's too old.

Q. You've said how much you love The Ryder Cup, we all know that. Do you think you're putting in jeopardy your future by playing in the LIV Golf series?

IAN POULTER: We don't know, James. I'm interested as you are to see how it plays out. I'd like to think it wouldn't; all the golf that I've played around the world in all the different countries and different tours that I've played on, I don't see why this should be any different.

Q. And was that a factor in your decision? Did you have to weigh that up, that risk?

IAN POULTER: Well of course, but it's an unknown risk, right. We don't know how DP World Tour are going to view it, so yeah, it's obviously a factor.

Q. Do you think there's any hypocrisy with some of the sneering about LIV Golf and particularly the vast sums of money you guys are set to earn in?

IAN POULTER: Every week we play, we play for vast sums of money and we always want to play for as much as possible. This is no different this week. When I moved over to play in 2004 to play on the PGA TOUR, it was exactly the same there.

So I want to play for as long as I possibly can. Longevity in this game at the age of 46, turning 47 soon, you know, that's a factor which I want to play golf for as long as I possibly can and be competitive for as long as I possibly can, so I'm happy.

Q. I was hoping that Jamie would have asked you, as well, what your reaction was to his question, essentially The Ryder Cup captaincy and all that, how you weighed it up and how disappointing it would be if you to be told you couldn't play and you couldn't be captain and all that sort of thing?

LEE WESTWOOD: Thanks, John, yeah. Thanks for asking me. Thanks, Jamie.

Yeah, that's obviously something I have to take into account. I'm not sure about the playing days. I'm 50 next April. Obviously captaincy, that could be in jeopardy as well by like Ian said, he pretty much covered it all with what he said.

What I would say is both and you are members of the PGA TOUR while we are in the European Tour and that's had no effect in the past on people having been captains and LIV Golf is another tour, so why should it be any different.

Q. Question for Ian and Lee. Obviously all of you who are involved in the established tours are here not having received waivers to do so. This is a new probably. Do you regard yourselves as rebels or trailblazers?

IAN POULTER: I regard myself as a global golfer and I have been for 24 years. I've played on The European Tour since '99. I've played on the PGA TOUR since 2004. I've held multiple cards, and I've played on numerous tours at numerous times and played plenty of events around the world, and that is what I'm continuing to do.

You know, all of those options to try and play golf for as long as I can provide as good a content as I possibly can for myself on the golf course, is exactly what I'm doing.

LEE WESTWOOD: Exactly the same. We are independent contractors and we've played all over the world. I've played the last 29 years pretty much wherever I've wanted to. Yeah, nothing's changing.

Q. Does it feel in any way uncomfortable to be doing this without the blessing of the tours with whom you've been so closely linked?

LEE WESTWOOD: Not really. It's a decision we've all had to make, and you know, I think we are all comfortable with the decisions that we've made.

Q. And if I may, Lawrie and Sam, can I just ask you about the level of your commitment? Are you in this for the whole series or just the London event?

LAURIE CANTER: I am going to play a few of the events, and yeah, just sort of see how it goes. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to be out here and yeah, it should be good fun.

SAM HORSFIELD: Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I'll play as many as I can get myself qualified for and I'm looking forward to that opportunity.

Q. And being at the opposite end of your careers, do you have any worries about potential sanctions from the tours?

LAURIE CANTER: You know, I would love to be able to play on as many tours as I can and you know, it's not in my hands. It's up to the DP World Tour what they decide to do with that.

But I would love to be able to have that opportunity.

SAM HORSFIELD: Yeah, I mean, I've worked for a long time to be on The European Tour, so I would be disappointed if I couldn't play it going forward. But that's in the DP World Tour's hands, so...

Q. As you point out, you've obviously been a great servant of the European Tour, DP World Tour now. Do you have any concerns about the future of it going forward if this event -- if this takes off and there are 14 events in a couple years' time that it drains away some of the big names of the European Tour? Do you think the European Tour is going to be in real trouble?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it's competition, isn't it. I think competition in any sport is good. It keeps everybody on their toes and keeps everybody trying to achieve as much as they can possibly achieve.

So I think LIV is there, and they have made the statement not to try and be a threat to these other tours. You know, it's 14 events, and that leaves 38 the rest of the time. So I don't see any reason why all the tours can't co-exist or there's a direct threat as such, although the other tours seem to perceive it that way does don't seem to want to work with us.

But like I say, competition is generally good.

Q. You've spoken about holding multiple cards, I guess the difference with this tour is where the main funding comes from, Saudi Arabia. As you come into it, do you feel suitably educated about the myriad of issues and human rights records that comes with that country?

IAN POULTER: We've played on The European Tour in Saudi Arabia over the last number of years, and the event has been a big event. It's had a world-class field. I think everyone up here now has played in that event, and it's been a world-class tournament.

Q. This is a tour which is funded by Saudi Arabia which is a record of human rights and the way they approach women and LGBTQ community. Do you feel educated about everything that goes on in that country and have no qualms in taking the money that comes from there?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, like Ian said, we have all played in Saudi Arabia already. We've been given releases by the PGA TOUR to play there and the European Tour have held events there. This is no different, really.

So yeah, I feel educated on it but it's something I've done in the past. As independent contractors, we can go and basically play wherever we want.

Q. And you both touched on how much you've loved The Ryder Cup as well, and this is a controversial tour, there's no way around it. Do you feel being involved in it will in any way tarnish your legacy and the level of popularity you have amount golf fans?

IAN POULTER: I mean, I don't believe it should be controversial. As Lee touched on, there's eight events this year, ten the next year, 14 the year after. There is plenty of room to be able to have other great tournaments on other great tours that we would like to compete in as well.

So the legacy standpoint is, I'm trying to provide for my family, which is the first and foremost thing that I want to do. I come to work to play golf and that is my job at the end of the day. I love it. I love playing golf. I love the opportunity that LIV gives us from a standpoint of playing slightly less golf which gives me the ability to be able to be fresher, ready to go. It's a magnificent opportunity that, you know, I'm really looking forward to.

LEE WESTWOOD: I agree with Ian, yeah.

Q. Ian and Lee, you're old enough, almost as old as me, to remember how rebel, break away events in different sports in the past have seen threats of bans and they will never play again and in cricket and tennis and even recently in swimming. All of those occasions, those threats were evaporated, were rescinded and the sport came together. Do you think that golf will end up following in the same path?

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm not quite old enough to remember those days, even though I am probably the oldest -- well, I'm definitely the oldest up here. But I mean, you're asking me to look into the future there, which I can't do.

I like the concept of LIV Golf. I think it's exactly what golf needs, a team format move often, a shorter format if you're asking me to say where I think golf needs to go. It needs to be faster. It needs to be a team format and it needs to be all the people out on the golf course at the same time. One of the funnest days for me watching golf TV is watching the Match Play where there's a lot of games on the golf course at the same time, a lot of action happening, not too many commercials.

The thing that drew me to this was the concept and, you know, how at certain weeks of the year, golf -- there's a place for this in golf. 72 holes is great and the major championships are obviously 72 holes and it's kind of the traditional format of the game, a little bit longer. But who is to say that, you know, there isn't room for a shorter format in golf and a team format.

Q. A question to I guess all four of you, but maybe Ian and Lee if you wouldn't mind, a lot of talk about the money, clearly. Is there any level of discomfort with the amount of sums that we're talking about at a time when the general public, and indeed some of your fans are dealing with a cost of living crisis and food banks being prevalent, struggling to make ends meet?

IAN POULTER: You know, wherever sports people play golf, you can always revert it straight back to the money side of things, and I think there's so much more to it just than the money. Maybe speaking for Lee and I, we're getting older. I think we'd like to play still great competitive golf, as much as we possibly can, but just like the transition in 2004 where I decided to play 15, 16, 17, 18 tournaments on another tour for significant increase in money to what was being played for on The European Tour, it's the same premise.

Q. Lee, as well, if you wouldn't mind?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, at the end of the day, I'm a professional golfer, and I do it as a living. I've been very lucky. I've had a longer career than most people out here would have had. This is my 29th season.

But you know, like you, if there's a pay increase, then at my age, I'd have to be stupid not to take it, or certainly have a good look at it and then not take it.

Q. Just with the sheer weight of money that's been invested in this tour, do you think it's inevitable that LIV will become the preeminent tour, and the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour will be, effectively, feeder tours, and do you see the other top players, Rory and Collin Morikawa joining it as well?

IAN POULTER: I definitely see other top players watching on this week and wanting to be a part of it. You know, I feel, yeah, there's a huge investment coming into the game of golf and sport in general of which, you know, definitely other players will be looking in with interest this week, and I think they will want to come and see what it's all about.

I mean, you know, the team format has always been something which most people have always gravitated to, and had their best time on the golf course.

So it is a vast sum of money, but it's a great platform to be able to build the game of golf and give back at the same time.

LEE WESTWOOD: I think he's covering it all for me, isn't, it, what can I add.

Q. On the moral dimension as independent contractors, is there anywhere in the world you wouldn't play in? If Vladimir Putin had a tournament, would you play there?

IAN POULTER: That's speculation. Not even going to comment on speculation.

Q. In a generality, is there anywhere you wouldn't play on a moral basis? If the money was right, is there anywhere you wouldn't play?

IAN POULTER: I don't need to answer that question.

Q. Sorry?

IAN POULTER: I don't need to answer that question.

Q. Lee, would you have played in apartheid South Africa, for example?

LEE WESTWOOD: You're just asking us to answer a hypothetical question which we can't answer a question on that.

ARI FLEISCHER: Next question?

Q. You talked about being an independent contractor. That decision rests more with you rather than the tours in other cases. Did you have human rights groups coming to you and did you consult with them at all before you took this decision and also how you might be appropriated for Saudi PR, not necessarily overtly?

LEE WESTWOOD: You're going to have explain that question.

Q. Did you have human rights groups coming to you and have you sought to consult them?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I haven't. I consulted a lot of people but not from the direction that you're saying.

Q. What was the biggest thing you had to decide on? What was the biggest thing that might have made you say yes or no?

LEE WESTWOOD: What the right decision for me was.

Q. And to Ian as well, we've heard from Greg Norman saying that Tiger Woods turned down high nine digits, nearly a billion dollars. Do you feel underpaid compared to that?

IAN POULTER: I always feel underpaid compared to Tiger.

Q. I remember Ernie Els at Wentworth when the prize went up to $1 million for the Match Play and he was asked if considered that an obscene amount of money to be playing for and if he would be perfectly comfortable winning it, and his answer as was yes and yes. Can I just ask you, do you think $4 million is an obscene amount in playing for and would you be comfortable in winning it?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think we're very fortunate to be playing for the vast sums of money that we are playing for nowadays, not just on the LIV Tour but all the tours. I think to do something you love for the amount of money we do it for is a very, very lucky and fortunate position to be in, yeah.