Four-time Major winner Ernie Els says the LIV Golf Series cannot be taken seriously.

LIV’s third event of this year’s inaugural eight-match series will take place at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey next week.

Three new additions to the Saudi-backed breakaway are set to be announced in the next 24 hours, including Europe Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson.

Els believes LIV Golf lacks legitimacy and is meaningless without world ranking points on offer.

“Just because you are playing for $20-million a week doesn’t change anything,” the South African told Golf Digest ahead of the Seniors Open at Gleneagles. “It’s still 54 holes. There’s no basis to it, there’s no substance to it.

“You can’t have a 48-man tour playing no-cut golf and expect the world to take you seriously. It’s not going to happen.

“My view – and I discussed this with the Saudi people a long time ago – was always to do things with the Major tours,” Els added. “And play it in the dead season [September to December]. That wouldn’t interfere with any of the main tours. It wouldn’t interfere with real golf as we know it.”

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