LIV Golf stars face '500k fines' by DP World Tour as more resignations expected

More LIV Golf players "on the verge" of handing in their DP World Tour cards, claims Telegraph Sport.

08 May 2023

LIV Golf stars face '500k fines' by DP World Tour as more resignations expected

More LIV Golf players are expected to tear up their DP World Tour cards in a month where the former European Tour circuit is planning to hand out 'unprecedented fines of up to £500,000', according to a report in The Telegraph.

Just a week after Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter called time on their European Tour careers, it is understood by Telegraph golf correspeondent James Corrigan that South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace will be following suit over the coming days.

Corrigan also considers axed European Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer now have major decisions on their hands as to whether they continue to keep their DP World Tour memberships in tact as a result of potential mounting fines.

Players that decide to relinquish their DP World Tour cards will automatically be ruled out of ever playing or skippering a European Ryder Cup team.

All LIV Golf players holding DP World Tour cards were forced to pay £100,000 as a result of February's arbitration hearing that ruled in favour of Keith Pelley's circuit.

In total, 16 of the 17 players in question paid their fines in full.

The exception was Garcia, who did not pay or give any indication that he intends to pay the money.

The DP World Tour is said to now be going down the 'legal route' in order to get Garcia to pay up.

The issue involving Garcia caused one DP World Tour pro to clash with a Sky Sports reporter over the weekend.

But according to The Telegraph, the fines could keep rising the more LIV Golf League events DP World Tour members continue to play in this season. Fines could reach £500k.

An insider told Corrigan:

"At the meeting the players held in the LIV event at Singapore [two weeks’ ago] a number made it clear that they wanted to retain their Tour memberships, but it is evidently going to be costly.

"Some reports said the players could be hit with bills of £1 million each, but that was never likely. But the fines will be eye-watering, nonetheless, and could keep rising the more LIV events that they play in."

Another interesting observation from Corrigan's report is that he claims 'LIV transfered £700,000 to the [DP World] Tour just before last Wednesday's deadline but without stipulating the seven golfers whom it was remitting'.

It will be fascinating to see how many more LIV Golf players decide to resign their DP World Tour memberships and how many continue to play on despite the heavy costs likely on the horizon.

The LIV Golf League is back in action at Tulsa this week.

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