Golf’s war of words escalates as DP World Tour chief releases excoriating 553-word statement slamming Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and the LIV rebels threatening legal action over sanctions, and rubbishing claims they ‘care deeply’ about his tour
- DP World Tour chief Keith Pelley has slammed 16 LIV golfers in a statement
- Pelley was responding to legal threats from rebels including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood over their banning from the Tour
- Pelley said the complaints were ‘not credible’ and he took ‘great exception’ to them
Chief executive Keith Pelley has hit back at the 16 players who have threatened the DP World Tour with legal action unless their sanctions for competing in the first LIV Golf event are rescinded.
In a strongly-worded, 550-word response to the letter which ‘implored’ the Tour to reconsider the penalties before 5pm today, Pelley criticises the claim from the players that they ‘care deeply’ about the Tour, citing how many times they have played in Rolex Series events in recent years.
He also says that one player gave a signed commitment to play in this week’s Horizon Irish Open, but is instead contesting the second LIV Golf event in Portland.
Pelley declined to comment in detail on the threat of legal action but said he feels the sanctions handed out are ‘proportionate, fair and, I believe, considered necessary by the majority of our members.’
‘There has been a leak to the media of a letter we received on behalf of a number of LIV Golf players which contains so many inaccuracies that it cannot remain unchallenged,’ Pelley said in a statement.
‘Before joining LIV Golf, players knew there would be consequences if they chose money over competition.
‘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.
DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has slammed a letter he received from LIV golfers
LIV rebels including Ian Poulter (right) and Lee Westwood (left) have threatened legal actioned over being banned from the Tour
‘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.
Poulter and Westwood are among 16 LIV golfers who signed the letter sent to Keith Pelley
‘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 signed commitment to play at Mount Juliet.
‘With that player currently in action at Pumpkin Ridge, you can imagine the allegation in the letter that we are in the wrong, is hard to accept.
‘We also take great exception to an allegation made near the end of the letter which states we are somehow playing ‘second fiddle’ to the PGA Tour. Nothing could be further from the truth.
‘We held a player meeting in Ireland on Tuesday where we outlined in great detail all the many benefits of our expanded relationship with the PGA Tour.
Pelley said the LIV rebels’ position was ‘not credible’ and he took ‘great exception’ to the letter
‘One of those is an unprecedented 10 cards on offer to the PGA Tour, cards that many of the players named in this letter desperately wanted to attain in the early stages of their careers. Why now be critical of those trying to do the same?’
DP World Tour members, including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, were each fined £100,000 and banned from next week’s Genesis Scottish Open and two other events co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour after playing at Centurion Club earlier this month, despite being refused permission.
As well as asking for the sanctions to be rescinded, the 16 players also want a meeting of the Tour membership called to discuss the matter further or ‘you will leave us with no choice but to employ the various other means and methods at our disposal to rectify these wrongs.’
Pelley revealed that one LIV golfer committed to playing the Horizon Irish Open but instead is contesting the second LIV Golf event in Portland
Pelley’s statement concludes: ‘Finally, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any potential legal matters.
‘I will simply reiterate that our Members’ Regulations which have been in force for more than 30 years, have been accepted by all the players, are there to protect all of our members, and we will use them to take all necessary steps to protect their interests.
‘The sanctions for those members who knowingly broke our rules by playing at the Centurion Club without a release are proportionate, fair and, I believe, considered necessary by the majority of our members.’
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