FIGHT! 'Nodding donkey' Eddie Pepperell trades blows with LIV's Lee Westwood

England's Eddie Pepperell and Lee Westwood traded blows on social media after the LIV Golf player found the updated OWGR situation amusing.

Ben Smith

14 Aug 2023

FIGHT! 'Nodding donkey' Eddie Pepperell trades blows with LIV's Lee Westwood

England's Eddie Pepperell and Lee Westwood traded blows on social media after the LIV Golf pro found the updated world rankings amusing.

The world ranking issue has been the subject of fierce debate ever since the Saudi-backed rival league launched last June.

LIV players have tumbled down the OWGR and missed out on majors.

It was argued by traditionalists that LIV players were simply facing the consequences of their own actions.

Just one of the many reasons why their fees for joining LIV were so astronomically high was because there were so many unknowns.

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Would LIV ever get OWGR accreditation? What would happen with major championship qualification? Would they get banned by the established tours? Could those bans be enforced?

Who knows what will happen in the future in light of the 'framework agreement' that was announced on 6 June 2023 between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's PIF.

For now, though, would it be unreasonable to suggest that the world rankings are a little bit messed up?

Bryson DeChambeau staked his Ryder Cup claim with an historic 12-under 58 at The Greenbrier.

Politics aside: Is he really the World No. 113?

This is the point that it appears Westwood was trying to demonstrate when he saw the updated OWGR after last weekend's events in men's professional golf.

He posted a crying eyes emoji after seeing Lucas Glover moved up to No. 30 and Alejandro Tosti moved up to 99th after his Korn Ferry Tour victory.

See here:

And this is where Pepperell got involved, saying it was a 'joke' that Westwood, now 50, earns more than three times the average, annual UK salary in one week regardless of his score.

Then the two argued, with Westwood bringing up a private meeting between DP World Tour members and chief executive Keith Pelley at last year's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club amid the furore over LIV Golf.

One golf fan started the fiery exchange, writing that it was a shame the likes of Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia 'destroyed their legacy for money' and claimed they will never be celebrated as the greats they once were.

DP World Tour player Eddie Pepperell described Sergio Garcia's withdrawal from the BMW PGA Championship as "pathetic" while speaking to @StripeShowPod
"It was pathetic and he's been criticised heavily for it, I would add to those voices." pic.twitter.com/4F4S7W6wOz
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 18, 2022

Pepperell responded to that, saying he will always remember the Ryder Cup legends for their games first, but stated LIV Golf have facilitated 'a big directional change in golf, and not in a positive way IMO.'

Westwood bit back at this remark, describing it as 'a load of s---' and claimed he saw Pepperell sat in the aforementioned meeting with Pelley, 'bowing your head like a nodding donkey whilst KP was spouting his political/head master s----!'

For his part, Pepperell wrote he wasn't nodding his head, but shaking it 'at the disappointment I felt in you guys not having more arsenal'.

See the entire exchange here:

Australian tour pro Scott Hend also chimed in, writing about the meeting:

"The most disappointing thing Eddie was that the questions asked in private weren't answered, and those that did get answered have turned out to be somewhat a stretch of the truth.... I can't believe you can honestly sit there and defend the individuals running the DPWORLD Tour."