Lee Westwood makes bold LIV Golf claim while questioning PGA Tour's DP World Tour influence
Bildnummer: 10652614 Datum: 25.05.2012 Copyright: imago/Action Plus 25.05.12 Virginia Water, England: Lee Westwood of England on the 18th green during the second round of the BMW PGA Golf Herren Championship on the West Course at Wentworth Club on May 25, 2012 in Virginia Water , England. xKieranxGalvinx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY ActionPlus20241540; Golf PGA xcb x0x 2012 quadrat premiumd Image number 10652614 date 25 05 2012 Copyright imago Action Plus 25 05 12 Virginia Water England Lee Westwood of England ON The 18th Green during The Second Round of The BMW PGA Golf men Championship ON The West Course AT Wentworth Club ON May 25 2012 in Virginia Water England xKieranxGalvinx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Golf PGA x0x 2012 Square premiumd
Bildnummer: 10652614 Datum: 25.05.2012 Copyright: imago/Action Plus 25.05.12 Virginia Water, England: Lee Westwood of England on the 18th green during the second round of the BMW PGA Golf Herren Championship on the West Course at Wentworth Club on May 25, 2012 in Virginia Water , England. xKieranxGalvinx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY ActionPlus20241540; Golf PGA xcb x0x 2012 quadrat premiumd Image number 10652614 date 25 05 2012 Copyright imago Action Plus 25 05 12 Virginia Water England Lee Westwood of England ON The 18th Green during The Second Round of The BMW PGA Golf men Championship ON The West Course AT Wentworth Club ON May 25 2012 in Virginia Water England xKieranxGalvinx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Golf PGA x0x 2012 Square premiumd
Lee Westwood says the PGA Tour is steering the DP World Tour from across the Atlantic, and he's not shy about naming who's in control.
Westwood and Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter held a press conference on July 21 at JCB Golf and Country Club ahead of LIV Golf United Kingdom. The two also announced they had settled their outstanding DP World Tour fines. A decision Westwood tied directly to LIV's uncertain financial future.
On the settlement, Westwood was blunt in the press conference. "When the current financial backers of the tour are talking about pulling out. And we're being indemnified. It just makes sense to get them paid straight away before they do pull out," he said, according to a transcript by ASAP Sports. "That's really why we had them paid when we did."
14.07.2014. Hoylake, England. The Open. Ian POULTER ENG and Lee WESTWOOD ENG share and amusing tweet during their practice round. xStephenxBartholomewx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxSWExNORxDENxFINxONLY ActionPlus11541905 14 07 2014 Hoylake England The Open Ian Poulter tight and Lee Westwood tight Share and amusing during their Practice Round xStephenxBartholomewx
14.07.2014. Hoylake, England. The Open. Ian POULTER ENG and Lee WESTWOOD ENG share and amusing tweet during their practice round. xStephenxBartholomewx PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxSWExNORxDENxFINxONLY ActionPlus11541905 14 07 2014 Hoylake England The Open Ian Poulter tight and Lee Westwood tight Share and amusing during their Practice Round xStephenxBartholomewx
The settlement clears the way for both players to return to the DP World Tour if they choose.
Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter gave up their DP World Tour memberships in 2023 to avoid more fines after joining LIV Golf when it launched in 2022. They had already been fined for playing in LIV events without permission and lost their appeal in an arbitration case in 2023.
Westwood directed his strongest criticism at the PGA Tour's growing influence over European golf.
Asked about the DP World Tour's position, he said, according to a transcript by ASAP Sports, "I think they're spinning a lot of plates at the moment, right, with funding from the PGA TOUR and things like that. LIV players aren't allowed to play on the PGA TOUR at the moment, are they? Yet the PGA TOUR gets a certain amount of say. "
The PGA Tour has a seat on the DP World Tour's board as part of their partnership, which began in November 2021. The two tours work together on tournament schedules and funding, giving the PGA Tour a role in helping make decisions about European golf.
Westwood then turned to the 10-card pathway. The arrangement that sends the DP World Tour's top 10 Race to Dubai finishers to the PGA Tour each season.
Lee Westwood on the 10-Card pathway and what it costs Europe
Westwood's concern wasn't the individual players benefiting from the pathway. It was what their departure costs the tour left behind.
"From a business point of view, it can't be good for the European Tour to give your 10 best players every year, 10 of your best assets, away to what is a rival tour," he said. "The fans don't get to build up a relationship with the top players coming through on the European Tour because they don't see them often enough for long enough now."
As the PGA Tour splits into Championship and Challenger series in 2028, Westwood doubts promoted players will break into top-tier fields.
"The winners in it are the PGA TOUR because for 10 players going over there, they're maybe going to pick up one future star. But that's not great for the European Tour," he said.
Westwood specifically noted that promoted players will "probably be called tier 2" under the 2028 restructuring, a designation he said is not good for the European Tour.
Westwood also reaffirmed his personal loyalty to European golf. "Yes. That's my home tour," he said. "It's where I grew up playing golf. You don't need me to sit here and tell you how much of a stalwart and a supporter of the European Tour
LIV Golf United Kingdom begins this week at JCB Golf and Country Club. Can Westwood and the Majesticks back up his words with a strong result on home soil?
Written by
Sneha Abraham