Ian Poulter is set to tee it up in the Czech Masters this week as he returns to the DP World Tour while the final result of the legal battle against the suspension imposed on him and fellow LIV players is awaited.
The Ryder Cup hero vowed to continue playing on the former European Tour back in July after a judge granted him and other LIV Golf players a temporary stay of suspension ahead of a final ruling. All players who had taken part in the first two LIV events without permission had been fined and banned from the Scottish Open and Barbasol and Barracuda Championships, but Poulter was among a group of them who took legal action.
The last minute stay of suspension allowed Poulter, Adrian Otaegui, Justin Harding and Branden Grace to force their way back into the Scottish Open field. With the final ruling still awaited, Poulter is in the field this week at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague. Joining him is fellow LIV player Laurie Canter.
In July Poulter told the Guardian: “I feel comfortable in the position that I have always committed to the European Tour. This has always been my home tour for 24 years. Why should that change? When you have been with a tour for 24 years and never given your card up, played 389 events and been as committed to this tour as anyone – quite a few have given their card up through the years. You don’t want to feel like you have been completely pushed out.”
The 46-year-old has won over $500,000 in the individual part of the three LIV Golf events so far, with his tied-13th place finish in the most recent event at Bedminster for just over $293k his best result. He has also banked another $500,000 as his share of the $2million won by his Majesticks GC team, who were third in London for a shared $500,000 and second - thanks largely to new signing Henrik Stenson taking the title and $4million first prize individually - for another another $1.5million.
Poulter has won 12 times on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour, though the last of those victories was 10 years ago, when he was victorious at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shenzhen, China. He is among the group of 11 LIV players who earlier this month filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, challenging their suspensions there.
