Former world No.1 golfer Lee Westwood has felt the full force of the PGA Tour and the European tour since defecting to the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Invitational Series in 2022
Lee Westwood Calls for Truce in Golf’s Biggest Feud: ‘Fans are the Real Losers'”
Former world No.1 golfer Lee Westwood, who defected to the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Invitational Series in 2022, has felt the full force of the PGA Tour and European Tour’s sanctions. Now, as he gears up for the US Senior Open, he urges an end to the damaging feud between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
The British golfer, twice a runner-up at the Masters, had his debut on the over-50 tour delayed by a year due to the PGA Tour’s penalties. Currently, LIV golfers must wait a year after their last LIV event before they can participate in PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions tournaments. In a bid to integrate the two sides, the PGA Tour announced a merger deal with Saudi’s Public Investment Fund in June last year, but the peace agreement remains incomplete.
Expressing his frustration towards the delay, Westwood highlighted how the division within golf is negatively impacting fans’ experience. “At the end of the day, we’re in the entertainment industry. No matter what the level of golf is, I think if the best players at every level don’t come together and play, there’s only one loser, and that’s the fans watching,” said the 51-year-old.
He emphasized the need for unity, stating, “We need to somehow figure a way that we can get the best players playing against each other more often.”
Westwood also faces a hefty £850,000 fine from the European Tour for participating in the LIV Golf League while still a member. He openly admits he has no intention of paying the penalty, saying, “We’ll have to find a way around that.”
Reflecting on the ongoing rift, Westwood expressed disappointment at the lack of resolution. “The Champions Tour for me is important because people have watched me play and other guys out here play for the last 30, 40 years, and they build relationships with those players and they’ve seen us grow as players and people. Yes, people want to see the youngsters, the new guys on the block coming through and contending. But they also want to see the guys they’ve made a bond with over the last 30, 40 years.”
Westwood’s best result of the season so far came at last week’s LIV event in Tennessee, where he finished in a tie for third place. Once ranked No.1 in the world, Westwood knocked Tiger Woods off his 281-week perch in 2010 with four top-three finishes across five majors.
