Billy Horschel, Ian Poulter caught in heated debate after critical LIV Golf comments

It appears it did not take long for the LIV Golf war to play itself out on the golf course.

Many of the world’s biggest golf stars are in England this week for the BMW PGA Championship, including over a dozen who have fled the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV. Billy Horschel, the event’s defending champion, has been highly critical of their decision to play – and it appears it wasn’t just all media talk.

Horschel was seen arguing with Ian Poulter, one of the LIV defectors, on the putting green at Wentworth Golf Club on Wednesday.

It’s unclear what was discussed, but one can use their imagination given the animated body language from both players. Horschel has spent much of the lead-up to this event, the first that has mixed LIV and PGA Tour golfers, which is run by Europe’s DP World Tour, ripping those who joined LIV for playing in this tournament.

“The guys that have publicly stated they want to play less, those are the hypocrites,” Horschel said Tuesday. “It’s not every one of them. And there are a few of those hypocrites here this week because they wanted to play less but they are playing another event that’s not a LIV event.

“I honestly don’t think that the American guys who haven’t supported the Tour should be here. Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch. … you’ve never played this tournament, you’ve never supported the DP World Tour. Why are you here? You are here for one reason only and that’s to try to get world ranking points because you don’t have it.”

Horschel did not specifically call out the Englishman Poulter, but the comments reflected negatively on any LIV Golf defector.

The 35-year-old was not the only golfer to be critical of the LIV players for showing up in Europe this week. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have also been outspoken, with the latter calling it “wrong” for them to show up at a DP World Tour event.