Chris Stroud blasts PGA Tour after announcing LIV Golf Q-School ambition

Golf Chris Stroud has taken a swipe at the PGA Tour's management as he gears up for LIV Golf's inaugural Qualifying School event. Stroud is among several players hoping to secure a spot on the Saudi-backed circuit for 2024, with the competition set to take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club next weekend.

Joining Stroud in the quest for a LIV spot are former PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner and ex-Ryder Cup star Jeff Overton, despite their previous Tour commitments. Initially, the American-based circuit stated there would be no penalties for those wishing to participate, even though the Tour had previously suspended any player who participated in on the breakaway circuit.

However, recent rumors suggest that the PGA Tour may be reconsidering their stance on the LIV Q-School. Whether Stroud's time with the Tour is over remains uncertain, but the American didn't hold back when explaining his decision to try out for LIV Golf.

"I've been frustrated with what the Tour's done for years since I was on the [Player Advisory Council]," Stroud told GolfChannel.com. "The Tour doesn't care about you if you're not in the top 30 and I learned quickly that I needed to take care of myself."

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"The Tour has built this bad culture. I love [Tour commissioner Jay Monahan], but the Tour has never tried to give back to the players, we've never had a voice. So, Jay has had a free hand to do whatever he wants."

Since joining the PGA Tour in 2006, the American has pocketed £10 million ($13m) in prize money, with his biggest win coming at the Barracuda Championship. Despite this, it is clear that he has been left dissatisfied with his treatment by the PGA Tour during his long career in the sport. 

He's not happy with recent changes made by PGA Tour bosses, including the top-50 finishes in the FedEx Cup standings earning full exemption for the next season, and future elevated events adopting limited, 70-man fields.

Stroud feels the increase in funding due to the threat of a breakaway league hasn't been fairly shared out. He said: "I believe [Monahan] and a lot of people at the Tour genuinely care about us.

"But the system has never been set up to help the players," before adding: "The Tour has taken all this extra money and not spread it out properly. I've talked to so many players about this and the answer is always, we need to be unionized."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.