Nine-time major champion Gary Player said he was "absolutely shocked" that world No. 2 Cameron Smith has joined LIV Golf.
"Here's a young man that I really thought was going to be a superstar. Now, what sort of future does he have?" Player said on the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show Wednesday.
"I played golf all my life. I wouldn't take a billion dollars for my nine majors on both tours," he added.
Player said he can understand some players' rationale of joining LIV Golf for financial reasons but believes Smith made the wrong decision.
"I think his advisers have given him the wrong advice," Player said. "Look, I don't blame players going on the LIV tour, most of them are players who can't win on the regular tour anymore. The PGA TOUR will always be the major tour."
LIV announced the signing of Smith on Tuesday. He's set to play in its event outside of Boston this weekend. The 29-year-old is coming off his best season on the PGA TOUR, in which he won three events - the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, and the Open Championship.
Player believes people shouldn't make a "big fuss" when players leave the TOUR for LIV.
"Let them go," he said. "But when they go, they've declared war on the PGA TOUR. They mustn't expect to come and play (the) Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and play in the majors and all those things. You can't have your cake and eat it. You've gone that way. That's the bed you've chosen, that's the bed you're going to lie in."
While Player is an ambassador for Golf Saudi, the 86-year-old said he has nothing to do with LIV Golf and his focus is with Aramco and the women's game. Aramco sponsors many events, including a team series, on the Ladies European Tour.
Ultimately, he said the LIV Golf series will never compare to the PGA TOUR.
"(LIV Golf) is a tour for people who - the way I look at it - they don't have confidence in their future," Player said. "They don't have confidence that they could be winners."
