The European tour on Friday banned golfers who competed in the Saudi Arabia-sponsored LIV Golf series from three upcoming tournaments, including the Scottish Open, and fined them $120,000.
The tour indicated that any player who took part in the inaugural Saudi LIV golf league event in England this month will be banned from the Scottish Open, the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship. The three events are jointly sanctioned by the European tour and the PGA, which has suspended golfers who competed in the LIV Golf series. They were also fined 100,000 pounds ($123,000).
The European tour warned that there will be “further penalties” if players continue to compete in the LIV series without authorization. The next of eight LIV Golf tournaments will be played in Portland, Oregon, June 30-July 2.
The fine imposed by the European tour is slightly higher than the minimum prize at LIV Golf. The last place of the 48 players received a prize of 120,000 in the inaugural event at the Centurion field, near London. This is the richest golf tournament in the history of golf. Former Masters champion Charles Schwartzel of South Africa, who resigned from his PGA Tour membership, collected $4 million for winning the tournament and another $750,000 for being part of the winning team.
“Many members I have spoken with in recent weeks expressed the view that those who chose this route not only disrespected them and our Tour, but also the meritocratic ecosystem of professional golf that has been the foundation of our sport for the last half century and that it will also be the foundation on which we will build for the next 50 years”, emphasized the executive director of the European tour, Keith Pelley.
The announcement of the European tour came as some golfers signed to the LIV league were playing in one of their own events. Some of the best-known players from the European tour were in attendance at the BMW International Open on Friday, including major winners Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer. All of them participated in the inaugural event of the LIV Golf in England.
