DP World Tour sanctions golfers who participated in LIV Golf series’ inaugural event


The first event for the Saudi-backed breakaway series took place at the Centurion Club just north of London from June 9 to 11.

The DP World Tour said the golfers who breached the Tour’s regulations have been fined £100,000 and suspended from participating in the Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championships.

“Every action anyone takes in life comes with a consequence and it is no different in professional sport, especially if a person chooses to break the rules. That is what has occurred here with several of our members,” DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement announcing the news Friday.

“Many members I have spoken to in recent weeks expressed the viewpoint that those who have chosen this route have not only disrespected them and our Tour, but also the meritocratic ecosystem of professional golf that has been the bedrock of our game for the past half a century and which will also be the foundation upon which we build the next 50 years.

“Their actions are not fair to the majority of our membership and undermine the Tour, which is why we are taking the action we have announced today.”

The DP World Tour also warned that future participation in the LIV Golf series, without the required release, could incur further sanctions.

LIV Golf is organized by LIV Golf Investments and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the man who a US intelligence report named as responsible for approving the operation that led to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Bin Salman has denied involvement in Khashoggi’s killing.
Earlier this month, the PGA Tour announced that all golfers who played in the controversial series will no longer be eligible to participate in Tour sanctioned tournaments.

There are seven LIV events remaining this year, including an event in Portland that begins June 30 and a tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with the first round on July 29.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *