DP World Tour wins legal battle against LIV Golf players

LONDON – The DP World Tour has won its legal battle to be able to suspend and fine LIV Golf players who featured in conflicting events without permission after the United Kingdom-based independent panel Sports Resolutions found in its favour on Thursday.

Members of the DP World Tour, also known as the European Tour, who played in Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s opening tournament last June sought a “conflicting event” exemption but the request was denied and they received three-event bans and fines.

Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding appealed against the decision and the punishments were put on hold pending an appeal, which allowed LIV players to continue competing on the DP World Tour without penalty.

The number of appellants increased to 16 but Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Otaegui withdrew before the five-day Sports Resolutions hearing took place in February.

The panel on Thursday found that the sanctioned players “committed serious breaches” of the code of behaviour of the DP World Tour’s regulations by playing in LIV events despite their release requests having been refused.

The decision could have huge implications for Lee Westwood, Poulter and Garcia, who may face bans from the Ryder Cup.

“The appeals were dismissed and each of the appellants was ordered to pay the fine of £100,000 (S$165,300) originally imposed by (the DP World Tour),” it added.

The panel found that DP World Tour chief executive officer Keith Pelley “acted entirely reasonably in refusing releases” and that the regulations “cannot be said to go beyond what is necessary and proportionate to the (tour’s) continued operation as a professional golf tour”.

Pelley welcomed the decision.

He said: “We are delighted that the panel recognised we have a responsibility to our full membership to do this and also determined that the process we followed was fair and proportionate.

“In deciding the level of these sanctions last June, we were administering the regulations created by our members and which each of them signed up to.”

The United States-based PGA Tour, in a decision released moments after play in the breakaway series’ inaugural event last June began, suspended members who played in the LIV Golf event and said anyone else who makes the jump will face the same fate. Critics have said the US$255 million (S$338.9 million) LIV series is a vehicle for Saudi Arabia to improve its image in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

Meanwhile, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s individual golf champion will receive a Masters invitation starting in 2024, Augusta National Golf Club said on Wednesday.

That was among three changes to qualifying criteria for the invitational tournament.

The second adjustment involved sending invitations to players who had qualified and were eligible for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship by being in the top 30 in FedExCup points.

The third change was inviting winners of all full-point PGA Tour events in the autumn of 2023.
REUTERS