The BMW PGA Championship gets underway at Wentworth this week, with many LIV Golf defectors in the field.
Prior to the inaugural LIV Golf event at Centurion Club in June, multiple DP World Tour members requested release to take part. These were denied and those that subsequently competed were issued with a three tournament suspension and fined £100,000.
Ian Poulter, Justin Harding and Adrian Otaegui spearheaded a legal challenge that resulted in the suspension being "temporarily stayed" - permitting the players to tee it up on the circuit once again. On top of that, a temporary legal injunction was placed on the DP World Tour that prevented it from suspending its rebellious members until the outcome of a hearing; reportedly set for February 2023.
LIV golfers are therefore able to take advantage of their exemption categories and tee it up in the flagship event this week at Wentworth, but seemingly at a price. Last week, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley stated that LIV players would not receive a "competitive disadvantage" but would be excluded from the celebrity pro-am, encouraged not to wear LIV Golf apparel and would not be included in TV featured groups.
Tensions further heightened after several LIV members, including Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia, reportedly flew in for the DP World Tour's AGM at the Wentworth HQ yesterday. The players were said to be looking for clarity over the Tour’s strategic alliance with the PGA Tour, as well as any further sanctions that may be coming their way after signing up for the Series, it seems it wasn’t forthcoming.
The tensions between LIV Golf members and the DP World Tour proved to be too much for Ryder Cup hero, Martin Kaymer. The German, who has featured in three LIV Golf events, withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship after insisting: "I don't need to go to a place where, feel-wise, you're not that welcome." Jason Kokrak also withdrew from the event.
Newly-crowned FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy will headline the Surrey field but insisted "it's going to be hard to stomach" seeing them [LIV Golf defectors] there. US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick described their attendance as "a bit weird, and obviously, a little bit disappointing."
Emotions and talk of legal action will be temporarily parked as the 68th edition of the BMW PGA Championship gets underway, where the following 17 LIV golfers are included in the field:
LIV Golf Players In BMW PGA Championship Field
- Abraham Ancer
- Richard Bland
- Laurie Canter
- Sergio Garcia
- Talor Gooch
- Branden Grace
- Justin Harding
- Sam Horsfield
- Pablo Larrazábal
- Graeme Mcdowell
- Shaun Norris
- Wade Ormsby
- Adrian Otaegui
- Ian Poulter
- Patrick Reed
- Lee Westwood
- Bernd Wiesberger
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