It looks like former DP World Tour stars Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are bridging gaps with the European Tour. Their move to LIV had damaged their relationship with the tour, but the duo has rekindled it recently.

Following their move to LIV, both Poulter and Westwood were imposed hefty fines by the DPWT. However, it has come to our knowledge that the pair has paid off the fines. 

“We can confirm that Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have both settled the fines imposed on them for breaching our Conflicting Tournament Regulation,” a DP World Tour spokesman confirmed to Golfweek.

Both Poulter and Westwood’s fines stood at around $1million, as revealed by Poulter back in March. The fines were imposed as a result of breaking the DP World Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation.

The pair was fined from the first LIV tournament in June 2022 to May 2023, when they finally resigned their DPWT memberships.  Now, with the fines paid, Poulter and Westwood have a clear way to rejoin the European Tour if LIV Golf crashes to the ground.

However, earlier, the two were adamant about not paying the fines even though the PIF was willing to aid them.

"If I personally wouldn't pay the fines myself, why would I certainly put my business partner in that position?" Poulter told Sports Illustrated in 2024.

Westwood straight out criticised the way in which he was fined.

"I'm not paying them because I disagree with the way they've been handed out," Westwood said.

Now, the LIV golfers will be eligible to become members on the DPWT in November. However, they will face suspensions that were assigned along with the fines. 

Reportedly, the suspension will be for 10 weeks, following which they will be back on the European Tour.

However, their Ryder Cup return still looks bleak.

Will Poulter and Westwood Be Back At The Ryder Cup?

Poulter and Westwood have enormous Ryder Cup experience. Poulter has featured at the Ryder Cup seven times, whereas Westwood has been in five.

“Under our current regulations, even if they were to rejoin as members, neither can serve as a Captain or Vice Captain in the Ryder Cup,” the DP World Tour spokesman confirmed.

In 2017, the DP World Tour introduced a rule that prohibits golfers from becoming Vice Captain or Captain on the European Ryder Cup team if they choose to revoke their memberships.

Therefore, Poulter and Westwood's chances of captaining the European team are up in the air.

What are your thoughts on Westwood and Poulter paying the fines to DPWT? Share them in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi