Lee Westwood in February at LIV Golf’s occasion in Mexico.
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Lee Westwood, who joined three different LIV Golf gamers in resigning their DP World Tour membership this week, slammed the previously named European Tour, questioning its sanctions after his transfer to the Saudi-backed league and calling the DP World Tour a “feeder tour” for the PGA Tour.
“People say I knew exactly what would happen, but nobody told us the extent of the punishments,” Westwood told the Independent in a narrative printed Thursday. “And they proceed to try this. The manner I view it’s that, as a European Tour member, I used to be allowed to be a member of the PGA Tour with none downside for all these years. Tell me, what’s the distinction? Just as a result of LIV is funded by the Saudis — a rustic the place my tour used to play and the place we had been inspired to play? …
“But now, in my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour, and even though Keith [Pelley, the DP World Tour chief executive] says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour. … Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime.”
Westwood’s feedback to the Telegraph — which you can read in full here — come after he and fellow LIV gamers Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland resigned their DP World Tour memberships this week. The strikes come about one month after a panel dominated that the DP World Tour might sanction its members for breaches of the tour’s conflicting-tournament regulation dedicated final June, when LIV began play.
Confirmation of the resignations was made in a statement by the DP World Tour on Wednesday.
“The DP World Tour would like to take this opportunity to thank the four players for the contribution they have made to the Tour,” the assertion learn, “and particularly to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the numerous half they’ve performed in Europe’s success within the Ryder Cup over a few years.
“Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices. As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members.”
On Thursday, the DP World Tour issued a second statement, saying that 16 of the 17 gamers it had sanctioned had paid its £100,000 high-quality — and noting that solely Garcia hadn’t. It added that additional sanctions, for these golfers who continued to play in LIV occasions, will probably be introduced subsequent week.
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In his interview with the Telegraph, Westwood mentioned that his resignation “wasn’t a straightforward decision and not one I have taken lightly at all.” Since his transfer to LIV, he has additionally defended the tour that’s now taking part in its second season, and has questioned the path of the DP World Tour, which has entered right into a “strategic alliance” with the PGA Tour.
The resignations additionally imply that Westwood, Garcia, Poulter and Bland won’t be eligible to take part within the Ryder Cup, both as a participant or a captain. Notably, Westwood has performed in 11 Ryder Cups, Garcia 10 and Poulter seven, and Garcia is the all-time chief in matches gained.
“I never would have believed it had ended like this and there has to be a bit of sadness, of course,” Westwood informed the Telegraph.
Also on Thursday, after his play in the course of the first spherical of the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship, Rory McIlroy 4 occasions known as the resignations “a shame.” Over the previous yr, the Northern Irishman has been outspoken towards LIV.
“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s a shame, right?” he mentioned. “I feel it’s a disgrace that you simply’ve obtained the best factors scorer ever within the Ryder Cup and two guys that after they look again on their profession, that’s most likely going to be a minimum of a giant chunk of their legacy is the roles that they’ve performed within the Ryder Cup for Europe. For these three guys to not captain Europe sooner or later, it’s a disgrace. But because the DP World Tour mentioned of their assertion, on the finish of the day, that was their alternative they usually knew that these had been probably going to be the results of these selections and of these actions and right here we’re.
“Yeah, it’s certainly a shame.”
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