DP World Tour wins legal battle against LIV players, according to reports

The DP World Tour has won its legal battle against LIV players and will be able to sanction them for playing in conflicting events without permission, according to reports.

A three-strong arbitration panel heard five days of arguments from lawyers for a group of 13 LIV Golf players and those representing the DP World Tour in February in an attempt to clarify the playing status of the former on the latter.

The case arose when players requested "conflicting event" releases from the DP World Tour in order to play the inaugural LIV Golf event in Hemel Hempstead last June.

Those requests were denied but the players competed at Centurion Club regardless and were fined £100,000 and suspended from the Scottish Open.

Initially Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding appealed against the decision and the punishments were stayed pending a substantive appeal, allowing the players to compete in DP World Tour events throughout, with Otaegui winning the Andalucia Masters in October.

The number of appellants then grew to 16, but Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace withdrew from the case, which was heard behind closed doors by Sports Resolutions UK.

According to a report in the Times on Tuesday, the panel has reached a verdict and found in favour of the DP World Tour, with an official announcement potentially being made during the first round of the Masters on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the DP World Tour said: "Out of respect for the confidentiality of the process conducted by Sport Resolutions, we will make no comment on any aspect of the arbitration until the decision is formally announced."

While the PGA Tour is involved in a separate anti-trust lawsuit with LIV Golf and a handful of its players who were suspended for