Lee Westwood after resigning from DP World Tour membership: "In my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith (Pelley, the chief executive) says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour."
Thursday 4 May 2023 12:55, UK
Lee Westwood has accused the DP World Tour of being "fully in bed" with the PGA Tour after announcing his resignation from the European circuit.
Westwood and fellow Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia have resigned their membership and are therefore no longer eligible for the biennial contest against the United States.
The trio were among the players fined £100,000 and suspended for two tournaments after playing the first LIV Golf event last year without permission.
Westwood and Poulter were also among the 12 members of the Saudi-funded breakaway who lost an appeal against the sanctions last month and were deemed to have committed "serious breaches" of the DP World Tour's code of behaviour by a three-man arbitration panel.
Westwood confirmed he has paid the fine and is keen to "move on", but reiterated his criticism of the way the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have reacted to the emergence of LIV Golf.
"I've been a dual member of the European Tour and PGA Tour, but always said I was a European Tour member first and foremost and that I had fears about the US circuit basically being bullies and doing everything it could to secure global dominance," Westwood told The Telegraph.
"Check my old quotes, it's all there. But now, in my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith (Pelley, the chief executive) says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour.
"The top 10 players on the tour, not already exempt this year, have a pathway to the PGA Tour - that's giving our talent away. That was never the tour's policy before this 'strategic alliance'.
"Sorry, I don't want to play under that sort of regime. I mulled it over and just didn't like the thought of the tour continuously hitting us with more fines and bans that would have been hanging over me.
"I've paid my fine out of respect for the arbitration panel and have then taken the decisions out of the tour's hands. I honestly want to move on."
Westwood has been involved in some capacity at every Ryder Cup since making his debut in 1997, making a record-equalling 11 appearances and serving as a vice-captain to Thomas Bjorn in Europe's 2018 victory at Le Golf National.
The former world No 1 registered 25 DP World Tour titles during a lengthy career and topped the season-long standings as recently as 2020, while Garcia has featured in 10 Ryder Cups and is the all-time record points scorer for Team Europe.
Both players were Honorary Life Members on the DP World Tour for their lengthy service to European golf, while Poulter has been another Ryder Cup stalwart who has played a key role in some of Team Europe's biggest successes in the biennial contest.
All three could have still had an outside chance of qualifying for this year's contest had they not given up their membership, with LIV players officially ineligible for the Ryder Cup as things stand.
The trio would have been likely candidates as future Ryder Cup captains, giving their long and successful association with Team Europe, although their resignations mean those hopes are now over.
The DP World Tour released a statement about the resignation on Wednesday, which said: "The DP World Tour would like to take this opportunity to thank the four players for the contribution they have made to the Tour and in particular to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the significant part they have played in Europe's success in the Ryder Cup over many years.
"Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices. As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members.
"The independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions recognised this, determining that our Conflicting Tournament Regulation and its application in the circumstances did not go beyond what as necessary and proportionate to the Tour's continued operation as a professional golf tour and that we have a legitimate interest in protecting the rights of our full membership by enforcing it."
