Lee Westwood has hit back at comments from Rory McIlroy questioning the value of LIV Golf players during the LIV Golf Indianapolis tournament in Indiana.
The former world number one called the reigning Masters champion's remarks "typical" and claimed they were not well thought out after McIlroy warned that golfers returning from LIV Golf to the PGA Tour would face a tough road back.
Speaking at the final event of the LIV Golf season, Westwood dismissed the criticism while preparing for a return to traditional tour competitions. "I really don't care what people think, to be perfectly honest," Westwood told TNT Sports at LIV Golf Indianapolis.
Westwood is set to make his Legends Tour debut next week before returning to the DP World Tour in October at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he is one of several LIV Golf players to accept a sponsor's invitation. The English golfer last featured at a DP World Tour event in 2023.
He argued that his inclusion in the Scottish tournament demonstrates the demand for players from the breakaway circuit across international events. "It illustrates the fact that people like LIV players in their events," Westwood said. "Promoters and sponsors, no matter which tour they're on, they bring quality to tournaments."
Westwood responds to McIlroy and Scheffler
The dispute follows comments made by McIlroy ahead of the BMW Championship, where the Northern Irishman expressed skepticism about whether players who joined LIV Golf should be welcomed back without resistance to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
"I would argue, have they brought value to LIV?" McIlroy told reporters earlier this week. He added: "I feel like I've kept my position consistent that LIV has never been a good thing for the game."
McIlroy's stance differed from world number one Scottie Scheffler, who acknowledged that certain LIV Golf players could add value to the PGA Tour if they returned, though Scheffler warned that returning players should face penalties before being reintegrated.
Westwood drew a direct contrast between the two opinions. "I heard Rory's comments. I thought Scottie answered the question well and Rory's answer was just typical of Rory, really, it wasn't well thought out," Westwood said. "There's a lot of players on this tour bring value to tournaments."
Uncertain future for LIV Golf league
The exchange occurs amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf's long-term operations following its final event of the season in Indianapolis. Chief executive Scott O'Neil warned that the league faces a "very compressed timeline" to secure financial backing beyond the end of the 2026 season.
LIV Golf recently announced that it has found an unnamed investor to assist with moving into "the next chapter" after experiencing financial shifts earlier in the year.
In May, Bryson DeChambeau revealed that LIV Golf players were left "surprised" by the decision of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund that funded LIV's inception, to withdraw funding. DeChambeau has not yet confirmed whether he will extend his own contract with the league.
"Look, it's tough, it's not easy," DeChambeau said regarding the league's outlook. "We definitely have a lot against us. Behind the scenes, we've got a lot of people that are working hard to make this possible for not only all the players that are out here, but all the fans that have come out to these events."
DeChambeau urged golf authorities and fans to remain open to the league's contributions as negotiations over the future structure of professional golf continue. "If it works, it works and that's awesome. If it doesn't, we'll figure things out and time will move on," DeChambeau said. "I would say that time heals things. I hope people can see that we actually bring value to the game of golf. My wish is that people give us one more shot and be open-minded."
