Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, who has been sidelined since the start of the year with a thumb injury, recently revealed to Stirkers and Radar Podcasts that he can understand why players are turning to the Saudi-backed series in search of money.
Speaking on the podcast, Beef, who is continuing to recover from the injury, said: ‘From my point of view, I’ve had an injury now and I’ve been out for a year. If I get an offer of £10m how do you convert that I have to think about it seriously because that changes my life and prepares me for the future.”
Johnston’s last appearance at the Portugal Masters came in November 2021
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Several golf players and personalities have provided their thoughts on LIV Golf and specifically the way the series is being supported by the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Saudi Arabia. Beef, who has one European Tour title to his name, claims it’s all about your values and why you play golf. You have to seriously think about it [but] I’m not saying I’m going.
“In other worlds, how would you feel if someone came along and offered you X amount to do the same job. You have to think about it, right? It’s great financially, but that’s the only reason you pay. When it comes to your values and why you play Golf, where it gets really hard for someone like me, because you’re saying, “Wait, I’m never going to play another major again.”
“If you can’t play the major tournaments and major tournaments in all of history, people will miss it. That’s another question on your mind. The experiences I’ve had in some major tournaments have been great. When you go and meet at The Open or in the States, it’s not They are believed and memories that will last forever.
“If I’m fit and healthy for the next 10 years, I’ll play the Majors, the Ryder Cups hopefully, because you can’t buy that experience.”
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are among the big names that have moved to LIV Golf
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When it comes to how much LIV golfers are paid, there are some staggering numbers. Reportedly, Phil Mickelson earned $200 million for the show, with the extortionate amount making him the highest paid athlete in 2022.
Along with Mickelson, duo Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau have had offers of nearly $100 million, with Greg Norman recently revealing that Tiger Woods has turned down an offer somewhere in the region between $700 million and $800 million to join LIV Golf.