"I am not Tiger Woods": Thomas Pieters defends his decision to switch to cash-rich LIV Golf

The 31-year-old Belgian professional golfer Thomas Pieters switched to the Saudi-backed league earlier in February 2023. After staying quiet for over a month, he has now come up with a suitable reply to defend his decision to join LIV Golf.

In a recent Fore Play podcast, Pieters answered why he decided to join the controversial but cash-rich league. He said,

"I've done 10 years of being on the road and trying to achieve my dreams. I'm not Rory McIlroy, I'm not Tiger Woods, I'm not going to be in the history books or have a massive legacy, and that's okay."

---

Recent LIV Golf joined Thomas Pieters opens up about his decision to join the league

Thomas Pieters was very clear not to have built a legacy like Tiger woods or Rory McIlroy on the PGA tour. He made the decision to trade in his ten-year Tour legacy in return for hefty money offered by LIV Golf. He feels the decision is best for his family and it would provide them with a better life ahead.

"I've made an unbelievable living out of golf, which is amazing for me and my Mrs and my kids. I don't worry about that at all, actually. It's just sport. It's just golf. Happiness is so much more than just playing golf."

According to Pieters, the criticism he has been facing is worthless and unfair. He feels that accepting cash from a Saudi-backed league is not wrong and said that people are being hypocritical seeing the amount of investment that is helping several businesses and companies through the league.

Thomas Pieters also added that every kid who plays golf dreams of playing on the tour and winning tournaments. But when he joined the PGA Tour, after just a year, he felt homesick and lonely.

"I played a year on the PGA Tour. I did not like it. I got very homesick, very lonely, so for me that was kind of like tick the box, I tried it over there, wasn't my thing and then LIV came around right at the right time."

However, joining LIV Golf has ended his prospects of ever playing in the Ryder Cup and maybe the Majors too. Yet the Belgian star feels his decision is amazing and the financial stability he will be offered will be better than the loneliness he has had on the Tour for years.

Thomas Pieters also said that he is trying to stay away from all the political drama going on due to the controversy going around the financiers of the league. The 42nd-ranked golfer added that he does not have any clue as to what his response to that question would be if asked.

"Obviously the things that have happened, they're horrible. I'm here to play golf. It's not really something I want to go into. I knew that question was going to be asked, but I don't really have an answer for that."

Thomas Pieters was all over the news after signing a whopping $10 million deal with the LIV Golf League. He was traded to Bubba Watson's Range Goats Team.