Billy Horschel goes off on ‘brainwashed’ LIV members

Jun 16, 2022; Brookline, Massachusetts, USA; Billy Horschel plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Horschel has not backed down from taking a stand against LIV Golf, and he unloaded on the Saudi-backed league’s defectors once again.

During an appearance on Golf Channel on Wednesday, Horschel had some harsh comments for the golfers who have left the PGA Tour to join LIV.

“I’ve said to some of the guys personally, I think they’ve been brainwashed,” Horschel said. “The way they feel so adamant that they’re going to be back on the PGA Tour. I’ve had some of them tell me, ‘I’ll see you on Tour again.’ I said, ‘No you won’t.'”

Billy Horschel on @GolfChannel: "I've said to some of the guys personally, I think they've been brainwashed. The way they feel so adamant that they're going to be back on the PGA Tour. I've had some of them tell me, 'I'll see you on Tour again.' I said, 'No you won't.'"

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 10, 2022

PGA commissioner Jay Monahan announced in June that all current and former Tour members taking part in LIV would be suspended, as well as those who join the breakaway league in the future. Horschel seems to think that these suspensions will be permanent.

Horschel’s comments come a day after the Tour won a big legal battle with LIV Golf players Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones. The three players were eligible for the FedEx Cup Playoffs that begin this week, but were suspended from the Tour and blocked from the playoffs due to their status with LIV. They sought a legal restraining order to allow them to compete in the playoffs, but a federal judge ruled in the Tour’s favor.

In July, Horschel appeared to take aim at one LIV defector in particular for being a hypocrite about their reasoning behind leaving the Tour.