DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley didn’t take kindly to the threat of potential legal action brought by LIV Golf players against his organization.
On Friday, Pelley responded to a letter he and other board members received earlier this week from 16 players who are playing in the upstart, Saudi Arabia-backed golf league that is disrupting the world order of professional golf.
First reported by The Daily Telegraph, the 16 players threatened legal action against the DP World Tour for punishment administered for joining the upstart rival league. The 16 players, including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, were banned from playing in next week’s Genesis Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour (the PGA Tour indefinitely suspended members who joined the league). Fines of 100,000 pounds were handed out to each player, and they are ineligible for three upcoming tournaments.
The players received their punishment after the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event was played in London last month. Players who made their debut this week in the second event in Portland, Oregon, will also be punished.
The letter said there would be legal action taken against the DP World Tour if the sanctions are not lifted by today.
Pelley gave his answer in a blistering retort.
“Before joining LIV Golf, players knew there would be consequences if they chose money over competition,” Pelley said in a release. “Many of them at the time understood and accepted that. Indeed, as one player named in the letter said in a media interview earlier this year, ‘If they ban me, they ban me.’ It is not credible that some are now surprised with the actions we have taken.
“The letter claims that these players ‘care deeply’ for the DP World Tour. An analysis of the past participation statistics on our Tour in recent years of several of the leading players named, suggests otherwise. One player in particular named in the note has only played six Rolex Series events in the past five years. Another one, only four. I wish many of them had been as keen to play on our Tour then as they seem to be now, based on the fact they have either resigned their membership of the PGA Tour or, if they are still in membership, have been suspended indefinitely.
“Furthermore, given how deeply these players say they care about the DP World Tour, perhaps some of them could have played in Ireland this week in support of our new title sponsor, in particular one player who gave us a…
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