Lord of the Dance
Players who attended the first LIV Golf Series event have been handed fines and bans from the next three DP World Tour events
Sport

Players who attended the first LIV Golf Series event have been handed fines and bans from the next three DP World Tour events

THE GOLFERS who played at the first Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series at the Centurion Golf Club in June have been fined £100,000 apiece and have also been banned from competing in upcoming Genesis Scottish Open and two other events by the DP World Tour. 

These include the likes of Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter. The rebels were not given permission to attend the event in St Albans, but did so anyway without releases from the PGA Tour and The DP World Tour.

The PGA Tour acted swifter than its European counterpart organisation after its members left and swiftly handed out bans for the exiles. The PGA Tour suspended 17 members at the time.

Now the golfers in question won't be allowed to attend the Scottish Open, the Barbasol Championship, as well as the Barracuda Championship from July 14-17,

However, they will be allowed to play in 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in England.

The R&A will follow the USGA, who last month allowed qualified LIV golfers to compete at last week's US Open at Brookline.

Keith Pelley, DP World Tour chief executive, said: " 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.

"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 have also said that that any golfer attending the next LIV Golf Series, event in Portland, Oregon, next week, may receive similar punishments.

"It is important to note that participation in a further conflicting tournament or tournaments without the required release may incur further sanctions," read a statement.