Nine-time Major champion Gary Player, who is an ambassador for Golf Saudi, has taken aim at the golfers who have defected to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
Player branded LIV a Tour for players who "don't have the confidence they can be winners" and said they had "declared war on the PGA Tour ". He also took aim at one of the rebel tour's major signings in Open champion Cameron Smith, with the Australian himself saying it would be "unfair" if players who had jumped to LIV were barred from playing in majors.
However, in a scathing assessment Player had no time at all for the Saudi-back series ad he told the BBC : "I wouldn't take a billion dollars for my nine majors on both tours. The only man to win the Grand Slam on both tours. I worked hard. I had desire. I travelled the world. It was an education, I met wonderful people.
"How can you ever be a champion playing a tour with 54 holes and no cut? What sort of Tour is that? 54 holes, no cut, a team event nobody understands.
"It's a Tour for people who don't have confidence in their future. They don't have the confidence they can be winners.
"It's never going to compare to the regular Tour. No chance. They've declared war on the PGA Tour."
Player went on to say he was "absolutely shocked" by world number two Smith's decision to join LIV, before savagely claiming that he does not "blame" Henrik Stenson for making the move as he "had no money".
"I was absolutely shocked to hear [about] Cameron Smith," Player said. "Here's a young man I really thought was going to be a superstar.
"Now what sort of future does he have? Will he be allowed to play in Majors in the future? Will he be able to realize this great dream of being a champion? I don't know.
"I don't blame Stenson for going. He had no money, so he had to go. But this is a potential superstar. I think his advisors have given him the wrong advice."
