One player who may understandably be against LIV Golf’s recent format change has spoken out in the league’s defense. And he had a little poke back at an old PGA Tour rival in the process…

When the news broke that LIV Golf would be moving to a 72-hole format for each of its events, Tyrrell Hatton revealed that “only three players” had initially been in favor of the change.

It’s safe to jump to some sort of conclusion that among the 51 nays were those who publicly expressed that playing less golf was a factor in joining LIV. After all, why would you vote to do more work for the same amount of pay?

Lee Westwood, though, is grinning and bearing it.

“I think it’s good for the players,” Westwood said in an interview with radio station talkSPORT.

Though only a small percentage, as he explained: “Some of the guys focused their whole season around the major championships, and playing 54 holes was putting them at a bit of a disadvantage. I think they wanted to play 72 holes [as] that represented more the major championship format.”

He added: “It’s good for the sponsors, and good for the fans more than anything – they get to see another day’s golf.”

One of the reasons mooted for LIV’s decision is that it will help them in their bid to earn Official World Golf Ranking status. Westwood, though, isn’t so sure.

“I think it’s one of the angles behind it,” he said. “I think there were a few different things, [but] world rankings is one of the things on LIV’s mind. I don’t know whether it’s in the criteria or not because there are 54-hole tournaments that got world ranking points before.

“But I think the boxes that you need to tick with the world rankings, 72 holes probably helps that.”

Westwood was also asked about Rory McIlroy’s comments on LIV’s decision to move to 72-hole tournaments.

During his press conference ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McIlroy described the announcement as “peculiar”.

But Westwood was having none of it.

“I don’t pay too much attention to what Rory says, really,” he said. “He’ll change his mind next week.”

The new and extended LIV Golf season will get underway in Riyadh in February.