Golf legend Gary Player says he "can't stand" the sport's ongoing civil war and believes LIV Golf chief Greg Norman has a "vendetta" against the PGA Tour.
Player, who won nine major championships in his illustrious career, feels Norman is still "bitter" about his failure to launch the World Golf Tour back in 1994. At the time, Norman unveiled his plans for a tour that would feature 40 of the sport's best players taking on each other in eight big money events.
The plan was backed by Fox Sports, but never got off the ground with players unwilling to join and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem stating they would not allow players to compete in World Golf Tour events. A few years later, Finchem and the PGA Tour unveiled their World Golf Championships plans, which were similar to Norman's World Golf Tour idea.
And Player believes the whole incident left Norman with a "vendetta" against the PGA Tour and that the Australian has allowed his "bitter" feelings to "creep into some of these decisions" he has made as LIV Golf's CEO.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Player said: "Greg has basically had a vendetta against the PGA Tour for a long time.
"He wanted to start a world tour [in the Nineties] and was deprived of it. He's been a bit bitter about that. I get on very well with Greg but I think he has let it creep into some of these decisions, which I think is a pity."
Player went on to admit that while he does not "blame" the golfers who made the jump to LIV, he does not believe they should ever be "allowed to come back and play regular tournaments". He added: "I don't blame those who went.
"Most who left do not believe they can win on the regular tour any more. Louis Oosthuizen is probably the finest gentleman I've met in golf and he's never won a tournament in America, so of course he's going to take their money.
"Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith, I was surprised they took the money but that's their choice. But I believe once you've decided that's your tour, you should not be allowed to come back and play regular tournaments. I don't like 54-hole tournaments, nor the team side of it.
"Personally I think you shouldn't be allowed to dress in shorts either. But the freedom to choose is important. The thing that irks me is it's become a damn war. Can't stand it."
