Five more LIV Golf stars are set to hand in their DP World Tour memberships, with fines for competing on the breakaway circuit reportedly set to rise to £500,000.
Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland all handed in their Tour cards last week, after Sports Resolutions ruled in favour of the Wentworth-based circuit in their legal dispute with LIV Golf. In a statement last Thursday the Tour confirmed 16 rebels had paid their £100,000 fine.
This sanction is set to rise to a hefty £500,000 for players who continue to compete on the Saudi-funded series according to a report from the Daily Telegraph.
Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson Paul Casey, Brandon Grace and Charl Schwartzel are yet to hand in their resignation, but are set to follow in the foot steps of Poulter and co. Despite the resignation of some ov Europe's big names, a number of LIV stars are still keen to hold onto their DP World Tour memberships.
According to the report a player meeting was held at LIV's recent event in Singapore, where the extensive cost of Tour fines was discussed. A source told the Telegraph: "At the meeting the players held in the LIV event at Singapore 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.”
One man who has made his stance more than clear is Westwood, after his near 30-year career on the DP World Tour came to and end. Understandably there was a feeling of sadness from the LIV rebel following his resignation. "I was a kid when I played my first European event – the Madeira Islands Open in 1994 when I won about £3,000 for finishing tied 19th," he told the Telegraph.
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"I’ve had amazing times, including all those Ryder Cups... I wouldn’t change those years for the world and feel I made a contribution to the tour. I’m not great on stats but I must have played something like 600 events, won more than 20 titles, and three Order of Merits.
"So no, I never would have believed it had ended like this and there has to be a bit of sadness, of course.” With his European chapter finally over, the same could not be said for fellow LIV man Garcia. As a result, the Tour confirmed in a statement that the 2017 Masters champion is one of only 18 players yet to pay his outstanding £100,000 fine.
