The DP World Tour today confirmed the sanctions to be taken against members who breached Tour regulations and participated in a LIV Golf event at Centurion Club from June 9-11, despite not having received releases to allow them to do so.
Such actions contravened the conflicting event Regulation laid down in the Members’ General Regulations Handbook as well as the Code of Behaviour Regulation, of which the members have been reminded on a number of recent occasions, and has led the Tour to take the following steps, which have been notified to all members concerned.
• They will be fined £100,000*
• They have been advised that they are suspended from participating in the following DP World Tour tournaments - the Genesis Scottish Open and Barbasol Championship (July 7-10) and the Barracuda Championship (July 14-17) and have been removed from the entry lists of these events where applicable.
It is important to note that participation in a further conflicting tournament or tournaments without the required release may incur further sanctions.
*Money raised from the fines will be shared equally in two distinct ways; (i) it will be added to prize funds of upcoming tournaments on the DP World Tour, to the benefit of Members of the DP World Tour who have complied with the Release rules and (ii) it will be distributed through the Tour’s Golf for Good programme to deserving charitable causes in the communities that the DP World Tour plays.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, 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."
When asked why he didn't follow suit with the PGA Tour and just ban his members? "While we are co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour we do operate independently. They have their rules and we have ours. We have acted accordingly."
OPINION:
I am not surprised by this compromise decision. Pelley has spent all of his time since leaving Rogers Communications to take up the CEO position with the European Tour, getting firmly ensconced in his members corner, and he was not about to ban legends of his tour like Sergio, Poulter and Westwood all of whom will be Ryder Cup captains.
The slap on the wrist $100,000 pounds sounds like a lot to us, Poulter spends less than that on one of his 9 cars and they all have that Saudi appearance money to spend.
Not playing the Scottish Open just means they'll practice for a week on any of the magnificent links in Ireland out of the public eye and only the lower rank and file would play at the 2nd tier Barbasol or Barracuda events.
This is just a slap on the wrist.
All that remains to be seen of course, is whether any of them play another LIV Series event, which would force Pelley to play a much stronger hand.
Bryan Angus
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