LIV rebels set to resign memberships amid fine as golf's civil war continues

02 May 2023 , 17:32

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LIV Golf players are set to resign their DP World Tour membership (Image: Getty Images)

LIV Golf players are set to resign their memberships from the DP World Tour as the feuding battle between the sport's leading circuits continues.

According to the Daily Telegraph, European stalwarts such as Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood are all set to give up their rights to play on the Wentworth-based Tour, following a recent arbitration ruling. Since forming last summer LIV has sent shockwaves across professional golf.

The Saudi-funded series has been able to lure in some of the biggest names from both the PGA and DP World Tour, resulting in golf's two top circuits biting back to thwart the threat.

Last June, the PGA Tour banned all those that had made the controversial Saudi switch, whilst the DP World Tour look to implement £100,000 fines and suspension from the Scottish Open. The latter's sanctions were appealed by a group of LIV stars - including Poulter - which initially proved successful.

Nine months on, Sports Resolutions eventually ruled in the Tour's favour, and this has seemingly left the rebel players with no other option but to give up their memberships. According to the report, Poulter and Co have until Wednesday to pay up their outstanding £100,000 fines.

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A number of Europe's biggest stars will be forced to resign (Getty Images)

And with the handing in of their monies, their Tour cards are expected to follow. After the legal decision ruled in the Tour's favour last month, DP World Tour boss Keith Pelley revealed he was 'delighted' with the outcome.

His statement read: "We welcome today’s decision by Sport Resolutions which upholds our regulations and our ability to administer them. We are delighted that the panel recognised we have a responsibility to our full membership to do this and also determined that the process we followed was fair and proportionate.

“In deciding the level of these sanctions last June, we were simply administering the regulations which were created by our members and which each of them signed up to. It is, of course, regrettable that resources, both financial and staffing, which could have been otherwise deployed across our organisation, have been impacted by this lengthy arbitration process.

Joshua Lees