LIV absentees won't take anything away from Sawgrass extravaganza

If you hadn't noticed, a lot has happened in the world of golf since The Players Championship in March last year, and the saga surrounding the sport isn't showing any signs of cooling down anytime soon.

When Cameron Smith clinched the unofficial 'fifth Major' in Florida 12 months ago, little did we know that the Aussie would then go on to lift the Claret Jug at St Andrews before defecting to the newly-formed LIV Golf at the end of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The 29-year-old's decision to join Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and some of the world's other leading players at the time was seen as a huge moment. It had the potential to spark a huge shift of power as LIV attempted to establish itself as a genuine rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour,. But that hasn't really materialised for the Saudi Arabia-funded alternative.

Renamed LIV Golf League for the 2023 season, the opening event at Mayakoba in Mexico failed to provide the same drama and entertainment seen on a regular basis on the US circuit, but that's surely to be expected with 54-hole tournaments that have no cut, consisting of players that are due a big pay cheque regardless of where they finish.

I have no issue with players making the move to LIV. The offer of vast amounts of money is hard to turn down and the fact they don't have to play as much as they did previously on other tours is an obvious benefit. But it's the attitude and the lame reasoning of some of the participants for defecting that really grinds my gears.

We keep hearing how they joined to grow the game of golf and bring it to different parts of the world ... really? I'm pretty sure the United States, Australia, Spain and England - countries which will be hosting LIV events this year - already have a strong golf following.

I used to have huge respect for the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. They were players I wanted to be when I was growing up, but the actions of the keyboard warriors in their attempts to defend LIV and belittle the PGA Tour on social media is becoming tiresome and something I am bored of now.

Thankfully, the golfing action away from LIV this season has been fantastic and I can't wait to see what The Players Championship has in store this week. It is one of the best tournaments to watch and it always brings about drama, especially at the dreaded island green at the par-three 17th.

Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy - three players who have been exchanging places at the top of the world rankings in recent weeks - have been grouped together for the first two rounds at TPC Sawgrass and I am champing at the bit to see what show the trio put on over the opening 36 holes.

In the 144-strong field, no fewer than 43 of the world's top 50 will be in action and all but one of the current top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings are teeing it up at Ponte Vedra Beach. The Players' slogan of "the strongest field in golf" has come into question ahead of Thursday's opening round, but I don't think you can argue with the talent on show this week and everything is primed and ready for another fantastic Florida spectacle.

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