“We used to be golfers, now we are sportsmen” – LIV Golf’s Lee Westwood explains the ‘biggest difference’ in golf in recent years

LIV Golf star Lee Westwood stated that joining the rival league transformed them from being merely golfers into sportsmen. He added that golf had become stale and stuck in its ways, which changed with the inception of the Saudi-backed circuit.

Lee Westwood is widely regarded as one of the best English golfers, boasting 44 professional wins. Before joining the LIV Golf circuit in 2022, he earned 25 victories on the DP World Tour.

In the latest episode of Inside the Ropes, the Majesticks GC's behind-the-scenes documentary, Westwood discussed the impact LIV Golf has had on their careers and lives. Addressing the criticism directed at the PIF-sponsored circuit, he remarked that people are often afraid of change.

"The biggest difference, I think, I've seen over the last 30 years is we used to be golfers, and now we're sportsmen," he said. "You see pop stars and film stars playing golf now, so it's a bit cooler to play. I've thought for quite some time that golf's gotten a bit, sort of, staid—stuck in its ways, like a big machine, just the cogs grinding over and over. A bit of a dinosaur, really."

He added that LIV was the 'shot in the arm' that golf needed to appeal to the youngsters.

"When I took the game up, it was a game for doctors, lawyers, and civil servants," he added. "So, yeah, it's certainly changed. It's not an old man's game like it was when I started playing. It was never meant to be the same as everything else. It's never meant to compete with the majors. It's entertainment."

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Has Lee Westwood won on the LIV Golf circuit?

Lee Westwood has competed in three seasons on the LIV Golf circuit but has yet to claim a title. In the first season, he played seven events and finished 15th in the individual standings, achieving two top-10 finishes. His best result was a solo fourth-place finish at LIV Golf Boston.

The following season saw a dip in Westwood's performance as he finished 45th and failed to secure a single top-10 finish. His best result of the year was a 17th-place finish at LIV Golf Jeddah.

This season showed slight improvement for the English veteran, as he finished 36th in the individual standings. A T3 finish at LIV Golf Nashville marked his best result of the year and his third career top-10 finish on the Saudi-backed circuit.