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Former PGA Tour star Chris Stroud has taken aim at the running of the PGA Tour after entering LIV Golf’s first ever Qualifying School event. Stroud is one of a number of players hoping to earn a spot on the breakaway circuit, taking to Abu Dhabi Golf Club for LIV Golf Promotions next weekend.
Stroud will join the likes of former PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner, as well as ex-Ryder Cup star Jeff Overton in attempting to earn a LIV spot despite their Tour loyalties. Initially the American-based circuit announced there would be no sanction for those wanting to enter the event, with the Tour previously suspending any player who had teed it up on Saudi-backed series.
In recent weeks though it has emerged that the PGA Tour could be set to make a u-turn on their LIV Q-School green light. Whether Stroud’s future with the Tour is over remains to be seen, but the American held nothing back when discussing why he opted to take the LIV Golf route.
“I’ve been frustrated with what the Tour’s done for years since I was on the [Player Advisory Council],” Stroud told GolfChannel.com. “The Tour doesn’t care about you if you’re not in the top 30 and I learned quickly that I needed to take care of myself.
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“The Tour has built this bad culture. I love [Tour commissioner Jay Monahan], but the Tour has never tried to give back to the players, we’ve never had a voice. So, Jay has had a free hand to do whatever he wants.”
Since joining the PGA Tour in 2006, the American has won £10 million ($13m) in prize money, with the highlight coming at the Barracuda Championship where he secured his one and only win to date. His frustrations come amid a whole host of changes implemented by PGA Tour bosses on the back of the rise of LIV Golf.
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2023 saw the circuit’s top-50 finishes in the FedEx Cup standings earn full exemption for the following season, whilst future elevated events will adopt limited, 70-man fields. Stroud believes the increase in funding on the back of the breakaway league’s threat has not been fairly distributed.
“I believe [Monahan] and a lot of people at the Tour genuinely care about us, but the system has never been set up to help the players,” Stroud added. “The Tour has taken all this extra money and not spread it out properly. I’ve talked to so many players about this and the answer is always, we need to be unionised.”
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