Do rebels care about us? I deeply doubt it...
DP Tour chief Pelley hits back at the LIV stars over legal threat and insists their punishment is fair
KEITH PELLEY has hit back at the rebels who have threatened legal action if sanctions aren’t lifted for competing in the first LIV Golf event.
In a strongly-worded response to the letter which “implored” the Tour to reconsider the penalties, the DP Tour chief shot down claims these stars “care deeply” about the Tour, citing limited appearances in Rolex Series events in recent years.
He also claimed that one player – understood to be Graeme McDowell – gave a signed commitment to play in this week’s Horizon Irish Open but is instead contesting the LIV Golf event in Portland.
Pelley declined to comment in detail on the threat of legal action but said he feels the sanctions handed out are “proportionate, fair and considered necessary by the majority of our members.”
He added: “There has been a leak to the media of a letter we received on behalf of a number of LIV Golf players which contains so many inaccuracies that it cannot remain unchallenged
“Before joining LIV Golf, players knew there would be consequences if they chose money over competition.
“Many of them at the time understood and accepted that. One player named in the letter said in an interview this year, ‘If they ban me, they ban me’. It is not credible that some are now surprised with the actions we have taken.
“The letter claims that these players ‘care deeply’ for the DP World Tour.
“An analysis of the past participation statistics on our Tour in recent years of several of the leading players named, suggests otherwise.
“One player named in the note has only played six Rolex Series events in the past five years. Another one only four.
“I wish many of them had been as keen to play on our Tour then as they seem to be now, based on the fact they have either resigned their membership of the PGA Tour or, if they are still in membership, have been suspended indefinitely.
“Furthermore, given how deeply these players say they care about the DP World Tour, perhaps some of them could have played in Ireland this week in support of our new title sponsor, in particular one player who gave us a signed commitment to play at Mount Juliet. With that player currently in action at Pumpkin Ridge, you can imagine the allegation in the letter that we are in the wrong is hard to accept.”
The PA news agency understands the reference to Rolex Series appearances relates to Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel.
Pelley added: “We also take great exception to an allegation made near the end of the letter that states we are somehow playing ‘second fiddle’ to the PGA Tour. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“We held a player meeting in Ireland on Tuesday where we outlined in great detail all the many benefits of our expanded relationship with the PGA Tour. One of those is an unprecedented 10 cards on offer, cards many named in this letter desperately wanted to attain in the early stages of their careers.
“Why now be critical of those trying to do the same?”
DP World Tour members, including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, were each fined £100,000 and banned from the Scottish Open and two other events after playing at Centurion Club earlier this month, despite being refused permission.
The 16 players also want a meeting with Tour members called to discuss the matter further or “you will leave us with no choice but to employ various other means and methods at our disposal to rectify these wrongs.”