Lee Westwood was one of four LIV golfers to resign from their DP World Tour memberships on Wednesday.
Westwood, along with Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Richard Bland, were all sanctioned for playing events for the Saudi-backed venture without permission. They all played in the inaugural LIV Golf event last June in London, which according to the European Tour, violated the conflicting tournament regulation policy.
The tour fined each folder 100,000 ($125,000) and after an arbitrator ruled in favor of the DP World Tour, Westwood, among others, decided to pay his fine and move on. However, that doesn’t mean the 50-year-old English professional golfer doesn’t feel wronged.
“I mulled it over and just didn’t like the thought of the tour continuously hitting us with more fines and bans that would have been hanging over me,” Westwood told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview. “I’ve paid my fine out of respect for the arbitration panel and have then taken the decisions out of the tour’s hands. I honestly want to move on.”
Westwood’s resignation signals that he will be moving on and will no longer be eligible for the Ryder Cup. Prior to defeating the Saudi-backed professional tour, Westwood had been a dual member of the European Tour and PGA Tour but always said that he was a European Tour member first and foremost.
I had fears about the US circuit basically being bullies and doing everything it could to secure global dominance,” Westwood told The Telegraph. “Check my old quotes, it’s all there.”
Westwood took a massive parting shot at the European Tour, accusing the chief executive, Keith Pelley, of fully jumping in bed with the PGA Tour. Westwood said that while Pelley hates to hear it, the European Tour has now become a “feeder tour” for the PGA Tour.
“The top 10 players on the tour, not already exempt this year, have a pathway to the PGA Tour – that’s giving our talent away. That was never the tour’s policy before this ‘strategic alliance’.
“Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime.
“I mulled it over and just didn’t like the thought of the tour continuously hitting us with more fines and bans that would have been hanging over me.
“I’ve paid my fine out of respect for the arbitration panel and have then taken the decisions out of the tour’s hands. I honestly want to move on.”
While Westwood has decided to move on from the European Tour, these comments are only going to create a greater divide between LIV Golf and the rest of the golf world.
