Low-profile LIV Englishman fears the sport’s reputation has been harmed but has high hopes for a ‘blockbuster’ Open
The softly spoken can provide strident analysis. Laurie Canter looked on from afar – partly through his own volition, partly because he lacks the profile of fellow LIV rebels – as golf’s occasionally vicious civil war rumbled on. Players traded verbal blows as the Saudi-backed LIV Golf became a reality. Old tours versus new tour. Supposed good versus supposed evil. It has all been particularly messy. The amiable 33-year-old’s silence should not be mistaken for a lack of interest. He fears the reputation of his sport has been needlessly harmed.
“There have been points where it has been embarrassing to be a professional golfer,” Canter says of the last 12 months. “I have had teaching pros say to me that they have been embarrassed by some of the conduct that has gone on. That is not what being a golfer is about.