“I’m not paying them” - Lee Westwood slams R&A after being denied entry into the Senior Open over outstanding fines
England's veteran golfer Lee Westwood has slammed R&A and the DP World Tour for being denied entry into the Senior Open. He accused R&A of pandering to the DP World Tour's stance.
The Senior Open, the final Major on the Senior Tour, will take place from July 25 to 28 at Carnoustie. However, Westwood and other LIV-associated professionals will not be a part of the Major that is co-owned by R&A and the European Tour.
Westwood was recently a guest on the Rough Cut podcast, hosted by Peter Finch. In the podcast, he blasted the R&A and the European Tour. He said the Senior Open was the only Major he couldn't play.
"They pander to the European Tour and say if we pay our fines – I think my outstanding fines are £850,000 or something like that," he said, as per Bunkered. "I’m not paying them. I disagree with the way they’ve been handed out. So that’s why I can’t play in the Senior Open Championship. I think the fans lose out personally."
For the uninitiated, Westwood has yet to pay the fines imposed on him by the DP World Tour after he played on the Saudi-backed circuit. He and a few other players faced bans from the European Tour. Due to this, he has been deemed ineligible to play in the Senior Open despite meeting the 50-year-old age criterion.
Last week, Richard Bland became the first LIV Golf professional to win a senior Major championship by winning the Senior PGA Championship. He was able to participate in the event after receiving a special exemption from the PGA of America. However, despite his win, he is not eligible to play in other events on the Senior Tour.
What's next for Lee Westwood?
Lee Westwood will next compete at the LIV Golf Houston, which will commence on June 7 at the Golf Club of Houston. He was recently seen at LIV Golf Singapore earlier this month. He aggregated at 4-over after three rounds and tied for 49th.
Westwood hasn't made a top-30 finish this season. His best result was a T32 finish at the LIV Golf Maykoba. His lowest score was 8-under at LIV Golf Adelaide, where he finished T34. He is tied for 53rd in the LIV's season standings.
Overall, Lee Westwood has yet to win on the Saudi-backed circuit. He has two top-10s here but both came in the opening season two years ago. Since then, he has struggled with his performance.