Lee Westwood vows he will never join DP World Tour again due to over £800,000 Senior Open ban

Lee Westwood is still persona non grata when it comes to DP's world tour. Credit: AP/Doug DeFelice

Lee Westwood has vowed never to return to the DP World Tour despite golf's shocking merger with Saudi Arabia after being banned from the Royal Porthcawl Senior Open this summer for failing to pay total fines over £800,000.

After the unexpected alliance of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour last week with the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, there is hope that the European Ryder Cup legends who have opted out of membership will be allowed to return to the blue-and-gold fold — if not the September match in Rome, then , of course, the subsequent biennial scandals.

The prospect of Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter becoming captains is suddenly a possibility again.

However, Keith Pelley, chief executive of DP World Tour, revealed that despite a new partnership with LIV Golf supporters, he is determined to play tough with the rebels and insist they settle «unpaid fines» before they will get them back. cards and are thus again eligible for the Ryder Cup.

As for Westwood, Telegraph Sport has learned that this amounts to another £830,000 on top of the £100,000 he has already coughed up.

«The Senior Open said I owe 'outstanding fines' but I don't 'owe' as I have resigned from the Tour and have no intention of returning,» Westwood said. “I am puzzled. I didn't know you had to be on the European Tour to compete in the Senior Open. It's not very «open» if it is, is it?»

It's a big blow for Portcall, at least. Westwood, who turned 50 six weeks ago, was planning to make his veteran debut at Welsh Links, taking on the likes of Darren Clarke, his former Ryder Cup winner who is the defending senior major champion.

All three from Westwood, Sergio Garcia (second from left) and Ian Poulter (right) moved to LIV last year and has since canceled the tour. Photo: Getty Images/Warren Little

But on Thursday, Westwood received a letter announcing the committee's «decision» to expel him. «The committee has reviewed your application and is unwilling to approve it because you have outstanding fines for violating conflicting tournament rules,» the statement said. «Therefore, you will be delisted and your entry fee will be immediately refunded.»

Westwood was surprised, if only because the big companies have so far mostly stayed away from the LIV split, allowing those rebels who are eligible to participate in their tournaments. But while the R&A, St Andrews' governing body, is solely responsible for the Open, the Senior Open appears to be jointly owned with the DP World Tour.

In the letter, Westwood reminded that the Portcall application deadline is July 6, «if you intend to settle outstanding fines and reapply before the deadline.»

He is clearly not ready for this, explaining that he will continue to play on the LIV tour — in whatever form it is now accepted — and also on the Asian tour. Westwood isn't the only LIV player to be denied entry into the Senior Open program. Richard Bland's proposal was also rejected.