DP World Tour chief hits back at LIV Golf players over threat of legal action

The DP World Tour chief executive, Keith Pelley, has hit back at the 16 players who have threatened the tour with legal action, unless their sanctions for competing in the first LIV Golf event are rescinded.

In a strongly-worded response to the letter which “implored” the Tour to reconsider the penalties before 5pm today, Pelley refuted the players’ claims that they “care deeply” about the Tour, citing how many times some have played in Rolex Series events in recent years.

Pelley added 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, Oregon. He declined to comment in detail on the threat of legal action but added that, in his view, the sanctions handed out are “proportionate, fair and necessary.”

“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 the 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,” Pelley added. “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.”

The 16 DP World Tour members, including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, were each fined £100,000 and banned from next week’s Scottish Open and two other events after playing at Centurion Club earlier this month, despite being refused permission.

As well as asking for those sanctions to be rescinded, the players also want a meeting of the Tour membership called to