Nearly a month has passed since LIV Golf and PGA Tour players came together for the season’s first major.
There have been numerous occasions of LIV players using profanities and having outbursts while on the course. But apparently, it does not happen solely in LIV events.
Beloved PGA Tour professional Padraig Harrington voiced his opinion on the questionable language used at The Masters while he appeared on the Peter Finch Rough Cut podcast.
“There was quite a bit of — on the Masters… there was an awful lot of extra expletives from LIV players,” Harrington said.
These NSFW moments have become somewhat common on the Saudi-backed circuit, especially from Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. They were behind multiple hot mic moments while on the PGA Tour and have been involved in more since joining LIV Golf.
“Clearly, LIV players don’t get fined for expletives, and I’m not saying they’re encouraged, but they’re certainly not discouraged from doing it,” he continued.
Rahm and Hatton are two of the most passionate players on the professional tours. Golf brings out emotion, and many players wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Regardless, proper golf etiquette should still be maintained when possible, especially when playing in a tournament like The Masters.
“There’s no hold back on LIV, and that’s something I don’t want to see going into the game,” he added. “Look, I’m not against the players breaking a golf club. When I came out in the game, I would have been very, very strong — and I still am strong on the etiquette of the game.”
“I don’t mind what any other player does as long as he doesn’t damage the golf course or affect his playing partners. So I have no problem,” Harrington said. “If another player wants to break 14 clubs, I’ll actually laugh at him.”
The 52-year-old is clearly passionate about protecting the traditional integrity of the game.
“I’m not happy if he decides to smash up a piece of ground on the golf course. So anything you want to do to yourself, well … that’s fine,” he said. “But there definitely has to be some moderation on it. There was a little bit too much of it.”
Harrington likely said what many others felt after witnessing the expletives at Augusta National. Golf etiquette should be maintained at a reasonably high level because, after all, it is known as the gentleman’s sport.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.