The lawsuits have almost begun. As LIV Golf's second event in Portland gets underway, the ripple effects of its very existence will be felt around the globe. Perhaps nowhere will feel them more acutely than in Scotland over the next two weeks, as the Scottish Open and Open Championship take place.
LIV golfers who have not resigned their PGA Tour memberships have been suspended from playing on the PGA Tour. Those who are members of the DP World Tour have also been banned by the DP World Tour from playing the Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship. All three events are co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Players were also fined £100,000.
A group of 16 LIV players who are also DP World Tour members -- including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter -- have sent a letter to the DP World Tour asking it to rescind its fines and bans for the Scottish Open (and other events), according to the Telegraph. The group insinuated legal action if the DP World Tour refuses to do so:
A letter, which was signed by 16 of this week's LIV Golf Invitational competitors in Portland, who will be fined for playing in the event, and sent to the DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley and other board members, called for negotiations to align the rebel series with the two existing traditional tours, or face the risk of future legal action.
It read: "In Mr. Pelley's latest communication, he uses the statement that every action in life comes with a consequence. We agree, and we are concerned that the actions of the Tour against us, LIV Golf, and golf in general will have adverse consequences on the DP World Tour, a tour and an organization that, despite our recent interactions, we care deeply for.
"The intention of this letter is not to further divide us, but to respond to Tour statements and to pose questions that the Tour should answer and we should discuss in detail. Instead of spending our time, energy, financial resources, and focus on appeals, injunctions, and lawsuits, we would implore you, the custodians of the DP World Tour, to reconsider your recent penalties and sanctions, and instead focus our energies on forging a path forward that is better for the DP World Tour members and the game of golf.
"To this end, we ask that you rescind your fines and suspensions by 5:00 pm on Friday, July 1, 2022. In addition, we represent over 5 percent of the DP World Tour membership and, under its articles of association, we ask you to convene a meeting of Tour membership to discuss these important matters further. If not, you will leave us with no choice but to employ the various other means and methods at our disposal to rectify these wrongs."
LIV golfers were able to play in the BMW International Open last week, which means that the only tournament they have heretofore been banned from are events co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. It makes sense that the DP World Tour would follow the PGA Tour's lead in this given its admission this week that it is, more or less, a feeder tour into the PGA Tour at this point.
It remains unclear whether golfers -- including Poulter, Westwood and Sergio Garcia -- who play often on the DP World Tour will be allowed to play in future events that are not co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour. The first of those, the Cazoo Classic, will take place July 21-24 in Southport, England.
