Tiger Woods believes some players “have turned their back” on what made them by leaving the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.

Speaking at St Andrews before the 150th Open Championship, the 15-time major winner says it would be “sad” for young players not to experience such events.

“What they’ve done is turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,” said Woods.

LIV golfers who qualified for this week’s Open will be allowed to play.

However, the R&A did not invite LIV chief executive Greg Norman to compete in Monday’s Celebration of Champions event or attend Tuesday’s Champions’ Dinner, saying: “The 150th Open is an extremely important milestone for golf and we want to ensure that the focus remains on celebrating the Championship and its heritage.

“Unfortunately, we do not believe that would be the case if Greg were to attend.”

It was a decision called “petty” by Norman.

However, Woods agreed with the R&A’s stance, saying: “Greg has done some things that I don’t think is in the best interest of our game, and we’re coming back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport. I believe it’s the right thing.”

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The LIV circuit has created division within the game and attracted some of the world’s best players, with £200m in prize money up for grabs across its eight announced events, two of which have already been played.

The PGA Tour has suspended all members who have competed on the LIV Golf tour, including major champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, who are all playing this week.

Woods says the concept of the rebel tour is vastly different to when Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer supported players breaking away from the PGA of America to form the PGA Tour in 1968.

“I just don’t understand it,” added Woods. “I understand what Jack and Arnold did because playing professional golf at a Tour level versus a club pro is different, and I understand that transition and that move and the recognition that a touring pro versus a club pro is.

“But what these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practise? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You’re just 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.

“I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players, especially if the LIV organisation doesn’t get world ranking points and the major championships change their criteria for entering the events.

“It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to experience it and experience what we’ve got a chance to experience and walk these hallowed grounds and play in these championships.

“Some players have never got a chance to even experience it. They’ve gone right from the amateur ranks right into that organisation and never really got a chance to play out here and what it feels like to play a Tour schedule or to play in some big events.

“And who knows what’s going to happen in the near future with world-ranking points, the criteria for entering major championships. The governing body is going to have to figure that out.”