Tiger: LIV players 'turned their back' on what's made them successful

Tiger Woods can't wrap his head around why certain players picked the LIV Golf Invitational Series over sticking it out with the PGA TOUR.

The biggest name in the sport's history spoke his mind following a practice round at St. Andrews ahead of the 150th Open Championship.

"I think what they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position," Woods said, according to Kyle Porter of CBS.

Several prominent players have made the switch to the Saudi-backed rival circuit, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, and more.

While those past major champions headline the LIV side, Tiger is more concerned about the amateur players who jumped ship on the traditional way to earn their stripes.

"Some of these guys may not ever get a chance to play in major championships," Woods said. "That is a possibility. We don't know that for sure yet. It's all up to the major championship bodies to make that determination. But that is a possibility, that some players will never ... get a chance to experience this right here, walk down the fairways at Augusta National.

"That, to me, I just don't understand it."

Tiger is also of the opinion LIV's enormous purses limit motivation for players to truly get better.

"What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practice? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt?" Woods said. "You're getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They're playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different."

Woods' appearance at the Old Course this week will mark his third competitive tournament of the season. He made the cut at The Masters in April and withdrew from the PGA Championship in May prior to the final round. He skipped the U.S. Open in preparation for the year's final major.