(Reuters) – American Patrick Reed said he “felt welcome” at the BMW PGA Championship in spite of his decision to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, adding that he was hoping to play at the next edition of the tournament.
The DP World Tour tournament was overshadowed by the presence of 17 golfers who have signed up for the divisive LIV Tour, with PGA Tour players criticising their LIV counterparts.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who won the tournament with a blemish-free round of 65, said on Sunday his win was “one for the good guys.”
Earlier last week, Rory McIlroy took a dig at LIV Golf members, who play 54-hole events on the breakaway circuit, saying that playing four rounds would leave them “pretty tired,” while Billy Horschel called LIV golfers “hypocrites.”
However, when asked if he felt welcome at the tournament, Reed, who carded 63 to finish at 14 under, told reporters, “I definitely felt welcome.
“The guys were very respectful, very nice to me,” the former Masters champion added. “They were the same as when I come over and play year-in and year-out every time.
“For me as a player and as an honorary lifetime member, I definitely will come back and play.
“I don’t plan on being ‘one-and-done.’ I always want to play at least the minimum and continue to hold my card. I take pride in that, I take pride in being a worldwide player and coming over and playing on The European Tour.”
The LIV Tour’s next event is in Chicago from Sept. 16 to 18.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
