‘European Tour Has Jumped Fully in Bed With the PGA Tour’: Hours After His Devastating Resignation, LIV Golf Defector Bashes His Former Tour With Strong Comments

While LIV Golf may have been the PGA Tour’s biggest arch-rival, the European Tour isn’t far behind the Saudi-funded Tour in being a nemesis, especially since yesterday’s massive news. Four legendary European  LIV golfers—Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Richard Bland—decided to end their decades-long DP World Tour membership. Nonetheless, one of the defectors shared some heart wrenching words about his withdrawal from the European Tour.

Due to golf’s civil war, all LIV Golf players were restricted from playing on the PGA Tour, though they were initially allowed to compete in European Tour events. However, last month, the DP World Tour won the landmark battle of fining their Tour players who compete in the new series £100,000 for each LIV event.

This could cost each defector more than $1 million in fines. In the wake of this penalty, four of the biggest European stars of the past three decades have decided to resign from the DP World Tour. After ending his 30-year-long career with the Tour, Lee Westwood shared some emotional words for his fans.

Lee Westwood wasn’t aware of the punishments

Westwood was among the first few golfers to make the jump to the lucrative Tour. He was on the field during LIV’s first event in London last year. Nonetheless, despite being a European Tour member since 1993, Lee decided to end ties with the Tour yesterday.

“I never would have believed it had ended like this”, said Westwood during his recent interview with the Telegraph. The former world number one also claimed to have not known the repercussions of joining LIV Golf would be so brutal on the DP World Tour’s behalf. He said, “People say I knew exactly what would happen, but nobody told us the extent of the punishments”.

Westwood also added that he had been a dual member of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour for many years, but had never faced any trouble. Moreover, he defended LIV Golf by saying, “What is the difference? Just because LIV is funded by the Saudis – a country where my tour used to play and where we were encouraged to play?”.

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The 50-year-old English golfer also claimed to have always represented himself as a European Tour player rather than a PGA Tour player. “I had fears about the US circuit basically being bullies and doing everything it could to secure global dominance”, said Westwood. Nonetheless, as the LIV Golf star’s days with the DP World Tour have come to an end, he didn’t hesitate to take a jibe at them.

Lee Westwood’s unfiltered rant at the European Tour

After sharing his heartfelt thoughts about his resignation, Westwood then slandered the PGA Tour and European Tour. Following the initiation of LIV Golf, both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have formed a strategic alliance to overcome the lucrative Tour. And Lee isn’t a fan of that.

“The European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour”, said the LIV defector. He also labeled the DP World Tour a “feeder Tour” to the American Tour. Westwood also bashed the Tour’s “Strategic Alliance,” since most of the European golfers are being taken away by the PGA Tour. He said, “Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime”.

Though all four legends have helped elevate the European Tour, it is time for the latter to start a new chapter. As it further builds more rigid strategies to outclass LIV Golf, more defectors will soon resign from the Tour. But none can be more impactful and devastating than the resignations of Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Richard Bland.

What do you think of Westwood’s comments? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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