Fleetwood turns down offer to join LIV Golf

Tommy Fleetwood recently turned down an offer to join the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf.

Despite opening alignment talks with the PGA Tour, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has continued its pursuit of the world's best golfers.

Fleetwood, 33, was part of Europe's 2023 Ryder Cup-winning team in Rome.

"I'll always be doing what I think is best for my golf game and at the moment that is what I am doing," said the Englishman.

Jon Rahm, Fleetwood's team-mate in the Ryder Cup, became the latest big name to join LIV in December.

Several top players have been lured from the PGA Tour to join LIV, thanks to its bigger prize funds and no-cut events.

Negotiations between PIF, which funds LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour over alignment failed to end in agreement at the end of 2023.

Talks have continued this year but Fleetwood says he has no plans on switching.

"There's nothing really. There's nothing going on," Fleetwood told BBC Sport at the Dubai Desert Classic.

"I've been playing here [in Dubai] for the last two years and I'm still playing here now. I'm pretty boring news-wise and that's just what it is.

"People have been getting approached for a long, long time now so I don't think it's flash news that people are still being approached by LIV. Some people will go and some people won't. At some point we'll either all play together, or we won't. I, like everybody else, will just wait to find out.

"I'm still chasing my childhood dreams and still trying to be the best golfer I can be. Who knows if that changes in the future but for now that's just where I want to be."

Fleetwood's compatriot Tyrrell Hatton, the world number 15, partnered Rahm at the Ryder Cup last September.

"There's several people that have had conversations. I think that's part and parcel of golf at the moment," said Hatton. "But I'm quite happy playing the PGA Tour and DP World Tour."

Asked if he was happy to remain on the PGA Tour and DP Tour, Hatton said: "As of right now, yeah."

BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter

Although offers have been rejected, LIV are exerting intense pressure as negotiations between Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the PGA and DP World Tours continue.

As the Saudi-backed league proved with the signing of Jon Rahm last year, LIV remain prepared to dig deep to land big names.

Hatton was Rahm's Ryder Cup partner in Italy last September and the Englishman's assessment that he is happy to stay "as of right now" suggests he might be open to further overtures.

LIV's approaches indicate their recruitment drive is far from over with their third season due to start in Mexico next month. The established tours will be deeply concerned at the potential loss of more star names in coming weeks.