LIV defector Laurie Canter predicts an imminent breakthrough over the civil war which is threatening to tear golf apart.
English ace Canter, who pocketed £118,000 for coming 38th in LIV’s second event in Portland, is preparing for the Open at St Andrews. The R&A said last month that players in the Saudi-backed tour who had already qualified would be allowed to compete at the Old Course.
But organisers of the 150th Open have since banned Greg Norman from the Champions' Dinner at the Old Course. The R&A feared the presence of LIV chief executive Norman could overshadow the historic event and the Australian, who won the Open in 1986 and 1993, responded by calling the decision "petty".
But Canter expects the tours to learn to live with each other soon ahead of LIV’s next tournament at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, in New Jersey from July 29-31, where Paul Casey will make his debut.
A key stumbling block is the absence of any world ranking points for LIV events but the breakaway tour plan to use a board meeting at golf’s traditional home on Wednesday to demand its formal recognition. Representatives of the four Major championships, plus the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, are among those who must decide whether LIV can come under the official world golf ranking umbrella.
World No.134 Canter assessed: “In Portland the field was stronger than the PGA Tour at the John Deere Classic and DP World Tour Irish Open. I hope the tours will get together and talk to make it all work for everybody. That is what we all want. Everyone wants golf to have a good, strong future. I think that will happen. I think there has been some progress and talks and I expect more.”
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Canter, who qualified for this week after finishing 24th on the DP World Tour’s 2021 Race to Dubai, is desperate for a breakthrough after heated criticism of some LIV players. He added: “I have seen some of the guys get heavily criticised. That hasn’t happened to me. The fans and public have been great with me. I think people appreciate my circumstances are different and not just for me but my caddie and coach and people I work with too. I have lost my card three times on the European Tour. I didn’t get any redundancy. I am self employed and LIV was too good an opportunity.”
Stars who are competing the £200m eight-event LIV Golf series but also teeing it up this week include Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. Critics say the 54-hole Liv tournaments with no cut, a shot-gun start and only 48 players in the field are not competitive. But Canter,32, responded: “It wouldn’t surprise me if a Liv player won this week - not at all.
“The standard is very good and the courses we have been playing have been hard. Branden Grace won the LIV last time with a 7-under 65 to finish at 13 under ,which was a brilliant score. The venues coming up are at top courses, these are serious events.”
