McDowell Reacts To 'Idiotic Comments' Following Shotgun Start Suggestion

Amid Graeme McDowell jokingly suggesting The 150th Open Championship should be a shotgun start amid slow play, the former US Open winner has now reacted to comments made responding to his tweet.

Just a few hours after posting the tweet, McDowell commented: "Love some of the idiotic comments below. Clearly some click bait here. There’s not a more pure form of our sport than @TheOpen. The Majors are sacred and their history and tradition should always be preserved. The other 48 weeks leave room for multiple platforms within the sport."

Back in June, McDowell revealed he had joined LIV Golf, with the Saudi-backed series bringing in a 54-hole format that includes a shotgun start. It's the shotgun start aspect that hopes to speed up the place of play, with the 48 competitors teeing off on different holes, but at the same time.

On Thursday and Friday at The 150th Open Championship, groups were taking around six hours to complete their rounds, as many individuals took to social media to voice their disgust at the amount of time players were taking.

Despite clearing up his comments about the shotgun start, many users on Twitter weren't accepting the clarification tweet, with one commenting: "The idea that the greatest championship in golf should some how be reduced to a corporate charity day with a shotgun start, is a nonsense. It’s fine you want to play LIV but please don’t pretend it’s a credible alternative to the existing model for elite golf."

What Is LIV GOLF?