Golf: DP World Tour issues new sanctions on 26 players

The DP WorldToursaid it has imposed a new round of suspensions andfineson 26playerswho breached its rules by competing inLIVGolf and AsianTourevents without permission. The DP WorldTour, formerly known as theEuropeanTour, said in a statement on Thursday that the sanctions were related to events that took place from June 22, 2022 to April 2, 2023.

Last month theTourwon its legal battle to be able to suspend and fineplayerswho competed in the first two events on the Saudi-backedLIVcircuit in 2022 without permission. TheToursaid the new sanctions were determined on a case-by-case basis to recognise differences amongtournaments and the impact it had on theTour's broadcast partners and sponsors.

Thefinesranged from 12,500 pounds ($15,776.25) to 100,000 pounds for each breach, while the total suspension imposed on any player was a maximum of eight DP WorldTourevents. Last week, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood resigned theirTourmemberships, becoming ineligible for this year's Ryder Cup.

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Westwood has previously criticised theTourfor its sanctions. "People say I knew exactly what would happen, but nobody told us the extent of the punishments," Westwood told the Daily Telegraph newspaper this month. "The way I view it is that, as aEuropeanTourmember, I was allowed to be a member of the PGATourwithout any problem for all those years. "Tell me, what is the difference? Just becauseLIVis funded by the Saudis – a country where myTourused to play and where we were encouraged to play?"

Critics have said the $255 millionLIVSeries is a vehicle for Saudi Arabia to try to improve its image in the face of criticism of its human rights record.