‘He’s just gone’: Tiger Woods’ ally dumps LIV defector in clear statement to rebel golf league

It appears Tiger Woods’ agent is in lockstep with his star client when it comes to LIV Golf.

Mark Steinberg, the longtime agent for the 47-year-old Woods, dumped Thomas Pieters as a client after Pieters made the jump to LIV Golf, according to golf reporter Alan Shipnuck. Steinberg had an “underling” break the news to Pieters.

“Weirdest thing ever,” Pieters told Shipnuck. “He’s just gone.”

Woods has supported the PGA Tour during its dramatic fight with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, and according to Shipnuck, Steinberg doesn’t have any clients who currently play for LIV, which started its new season this weekend at El Camaleon in Mexico.

Pieters was among the latest wave of golfers to bolt for LIV earlier this month along with Danny Lee and Brendan Steele. Pieters was ranked No. 34 in the world at the time of the move.

The 31-year-old from Belgium, who joined LIV Golf’s RangeGoats GC team captained by Bubba Watson, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he “made a big decision for myself and my family.”

LIV Golf took over an antitrust lawsuit filed by 11 golfers against the PGA Tour, which filed a countersuit accusing LIV of “tortious interference.”

At the Hero World Challenge in November, Woods said LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman “has to go” for the two sides to find an amicable path forward.

“Not right now, not with their leadership, not with Greg there and his animosity towards the Tour itself. I don’t see that happening,” Woods said then, when asked about a resolution between the two sides.“Greg’s got to leave and then we can eventually, hopefully, have a stay between the two lawsuits and figure something out. But why would you change anything if you’ve got a lawsuit against you? They sued us first.”