Ludvig Aberg takes indirect jibe at LIV Golf CEO’s bold comment after Genesis Invitational win

New LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil on Sunday made a bold claim that the ‘best players in the world’ were on his circuit. The executive claimed that fans ‘don't have to look too far past’ the Saudi-backed circuit’s leaderboard to see the best players ‘outside of the majors’. He made the comment after joining the LIV Golf broadcast during the Adelaide event.

Just hours after this, Ludvig Aberg won the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. During his winner’s press conference, the Swedish golfer indirectly took a jibe at the LIV CEO’s comment by stating the PGA Tour had the “best players in the world.” The 25-year-old dubbed it “hard” to take victory on the circuit after claiming his second-ever win.

While Aberg used the exact words as O'Neil to laud the quality of the players on their tours, he didn’t directly mention or target the latter in any manner.

Replying to a media query on winning on the PGA Tour again, Ludvig Aberg said, as quoted by Tee Scripts:

“It felt like a lifetime. It is hard winning on the PGA Tour; they're the best players in the world. Anytime you have the opportunity to win it's a cool feeling to try to win a golf tournament coming down the last couple holes. Today I executed the shots, I made a couple putts and that was the difference. It's very reassuring to know that I can sort of go from where I was a couple weeks ago to winning a tournament in sort of a quick turnaround.” [5:41 onwards]

Aberg was three shots behind before capping off his late rally with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for a 6-under 66 at Torrey Pines on Sunday. The Swede marked a one-shot victory over Maverick McNealy in The Genesis Invitational. The gofer jumped to World No.4 in the Official World Golf Rankings after taking the trophy from the tournament host, Tiger Woods.

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LIV Golf has the 'best players in the world' after majors, says CEO

Scott O'Neil during a press conference ahead of Liv Golf Adelaide - Source: Getty

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil, replacing the outgoing golf legend Greg Norman, has reiterated his confidence in the Saudi-backed series. The executive stated on Sunday that his Tour has the “best players in the world.”

Scott O'Neil said during the LIV Golf Adelaide broadcast:

"You don't have to look too far past our leaderboard to know that outside of the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, there's only one place to see it, and that's at LIV.”

It is pertinent to note that this isn’t the first time the circuit’s new chief executive officer has shared his highly optimistic view.

Interestingly, the comment praising the quality of the LIV players comes just days after O’Neil confirmed the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia’s likeliness to “make an investment in PGA Tour Enterprises.” The new CEO seemed excited about the move that could possibly form a merger between the rival tours.

He said:

“For us at LIV, we are hoping that (a PIF link with PGA Tour Enterprises) unlocks opportunity. That may unlock opportunity with markets, with courses, with marketing partners, with television networks, with growing the game, with competition opportunities, with new formats. … We’re very excited about the potential investment with PIF and PGA Tour Enterprises.” [via Golfweek]

It is also noteworthy that the R&A recently created an exemption category for LIV Golf players to compete in The Open. It became the second major golf tournament to introduce a formal pathway for players from the circuit.