DP World Tour chief Keith Pelley threatens Asian Tour players with sanctions, revels in court win over LIV
- European tour’s CEO hails arbitration panel’s decision that he can enforce penalties on players who joined Saudi-backed outfit
- Tells ‘the bunkered podcast’ that members who played in rival International Series next to be punished
The head of the DP World Tour wants to punish members who have competed on the Asian Tour, after a court in the UK ruled he had a right to enforce conflicting-release rules.
But forcing players to chose between the two organisations could backfire on Keith Pelley, with the pathway from the Asian Tour to the riches of the LIV Golf circuit expected to expand next season.
Pelley, the DPWT’s CEO, issued his threat during an interview on ‘the bunkered podcast’ in which he revelled in a legal victory over LIV Golf, that backed his right to fine the likes of Ian Poutler and Lee Westwood for joining the rival organisation.
Pelley expressed his delight at the outcome and said it was a win for all sports organisations and members’ clubs, adding the DPWT would now determine “what is the best course of action to take against employees that wilfully broke our rules and regulations”.
Not content with that, Pelley said he would also see what punishment he could dish out to the likes of Asian Tour regulars Jazz Janewattananond, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Wang Jeung-hun, Gavin Green and Takumi Kanaya.
“We need to be able to regulate members’ ability to play on other tournaments that clashed with ours,” Pelley said.
Those five are among a number of players with DPWT membership who have competed on the Asian Tour, including in its first International Series event at Slaley Hall in England, which took place at the same time as the DPWT’s Porsche European Open but offered slightly more prize money.
That tournament took place the week before LIV’s first event at Centurion Club, which prompted the PGA Tour to ban the likes of major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka.
“Just like the decision to sanction [LIV golfers] and our position at the Centurion Club, which was the initial event, or Slaley Hall, which was on the Asian Tour, the players that have played on that are really going to be looked at as well, and those that have broken the rules and regulations will be sanctioned accordingly,” Pelley said.
Kanaya went on to win this season’s first series stop in Oman and came close to winning the International Series Vietnam last week, while Janewattananond and Aphibarnrat have played in multiple Asian Tour events this season, including the World City Championship in Hong Kong.
The series provides a direct route for Asian Tour players to the LIV tournaments, with Scott Vincent, who won the inaugural event and topped the order of merit, making the step up this season.
Those opportunities are only expected to grow, with Greg Norman saying on Wednesday his tour would get to a “a position where there will be a relegation series and places will start opening up”.
While Norman, who is in Australia this week for LIV’s first event Down Under, said there was a “long list” of big name players waiting to join his organisation, those on the Asian Tour will also get a shot.
According to sources, there will be a Q-school for LIV next season, with the players ranked two to 30 on the Tour’s order of merit getting in.
The DPWT is in Japan this week for the ISPS Handa Championship, Pelley will be there too, as will Janewattananond and Green, both of whom are playing in the event.
Pelley said any action taken would not be “unilaterally my decision”, but would involved feedback from players and officials.
“I’ll talk to a number of different players, have already talked to the board members, talked to my management team, and will get legal advice,” Pelley said. “So, not a unilateral decision it’s a decision that we will collectively make that is in the best interest of our members.”
