LIV Golf star Matt Jones has defended the Saudi-backed series and slammed 'keyboard warriors' for the heavy criticism it has faced. Jones joined LIV Golf this summer and has since competed at all seven of the circuit's events in its inaugural season.
Since its inception in June, LIV Golf has faced plenty of critics, and now the Australian star has hit back. Speaking at last week's Invitational in Jeddah, Jones told AAP: "I would say don't speak until you've come out here and experienced it.
"There's plenty of keyboard warriors out there who sit behind a computer and judge everything people do for a living without getting out and experiencing it.
"If there's people judging this from what they see on YouTube and LIV TV, it would be better to come out here and experience it."
The competitiveness of the series has been questioned by many, with LIV often labelled a circuit of 'exhibitions' due to its no-cut format and lank of ranking points.
Jones however believes these claims could not be further than truth, and believes LIV Golf players are working harder on the Saudi-backed series than those on the PGA Tour. He went on: "I've seen guys grinding harder here than they do on the PGA Tour because we have the time.
"You can spend more time in the gym, getting fit, because our bodies aren't getting pounded week after week. And, financially, there's so much to gain from playing well out here. There are livelihoods at stake.
"There are guys on one-year contracts playing for next year. No-one's coming out for a hit and giggle. It's serious and guys want to win every week." It was a tough week for Jones in Jeddah, as the Aussie star finished second bottom after carding three-over-par across his 54 holes.
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Despite this, the 42-year-old was still able to take home £112,000, taking his season earnings to £1.3 million in just seven events. The man who was crowned champion was four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, as he took home an eye-watering £4.6 million after winning both the individual and team competition in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking afterwards, an emotional Koepka revealed that he was close to calling time on his career after a tricky couple of seasons on and off the course. Fighting back the tears, the American said: "I didn't know if my career was over for half a second so... I told Claude [Harmon] I wasn't sure if I was even going to play. So it is nice to be able to come back and be able to win."
