LIV Golfers including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter face £1m fine: Report
LIV golfers including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter could face a fine of €1 million from the DP World Tour. European golfers requested officials to allow them to play in the debut season of the Saudi-backed competition, but they were denied entry. Despite this, the golfers proceeded to play in the LIV Golf.
Last June, European golfers such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Sergio Garcia participated in the Centurion Club competition without permission. The officials fined them, but they were put on hold when a number of LIV golfers challenged the circuit.
The European Tour, on the other hand, won the case against LIV Golf in 2023 and is apparently intending to sue the golfer who switched to the newly formed series. The verdict authorizes the DP World Tour to punish players who betray them. They are permitted to receive €100,000 from LIV Golf competitors.
Players will be punished for all LIV Golf tournament appearances from last year. The turbulent series featured eight events last year and four in 2023.
Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood participated in all matches and can expect a €1 million punishment.
Fortunately, Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, is on their side. Norman stated in one of his interviews:
"It's not a threat, we anticipated it. All the players I've told: 'We've got your back.' We'll defend, we'll reimburse and we'll represent-simple as that."
"The process we followed was fair" - European Tour CEO on winning a case against LIV Golf
The beginning of the LIV Golf series coincides with a civil war. Golfers were divided into groups based on their beliefs. Although players requested Tour permission before participating in the Saudi-funded circuit, they did not receive it. However, the golfers were unconcerned and continued to play in the LIV Golf.
They were then barred from participating in their home series. Nonetheless, LIV players sued the Tour to prevent them from competing in their events, and the court ruled in favor of the European Tour earlier this month.
Keith Pelley, the CEO of the European Tour, was happy with the tribunal's decision and said:
“We are delighted that the panel recognized we have a responsibility to our full membership to do this and also determined that the process we followed was fair and proportionate."
It is vital to note that LIV Golf players are not permitted to compete on the PGA Tour and are not eligible for OWGR points. Nonetheless, they were permitted to compete in The Masters.
People claimed that low-ranked players who do not play well on the PGA Tour have joined LIV Golf. Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka apparently defied this concept by finishing second at The Masters.
LIV Golf successfully completed its first season and started with the second. The next event is slated to take place this week in Singapore. The tournament started with the first round but was suspended due to inclement weather. LIV Golf Singapore will wrap up on Sunday, April 30.