DP World Tour chief slams LIV Golf stars after sanction plea

DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has launched a scathing attack on the players who threatened legal action unless their sanctions for competing in LIV Golf are removed.

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 co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour.

The punishment came after they played in the opening event of the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series earlier this month, despite being refused permission by the DP World Tour.

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are among the US-based stars who have signed up for the LIV Golf events.

In an open letter published by The Telegraph, the 16 players implored the DP World Tour to reconsider the penalties.

They claimed the recent strengthened partnership between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in response to the influx of Saudi cash leaves the European circuit playing "second fiddle" to the US-based tournaments.

The players also called for a Tour membership meeting to discuss the matter, threatening that "you will leave us with no choice but to employ the various other means and methods at our disposal to rectify these wrongs".

But Pelley responded by criticising the players' claim that they "care deeply" about the Tour, insisting the sanctions handed out are "proportionate, fair and, I believe, considered necessary by the majority of our members".

He also said one player gave a signed commitment to play in this week's Irish Open, but is instead contesting the second LIV Golf event in Portland.

"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