Former world number one Lee Westwood told BBC Sport that the shutdown of LIV Golf, confirmed this Sunday, will not necessarily benefit the European tour. Westwood, the 53-year-old Englishman, was among the prestigious players attracted by the Saudi project when it launched in 2022 as a breakaway tour.
LIV confirmed its intention to cease operations this week after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew financial support, and potential new investors pulled out of an agreement to continue operations in a new format. Westwood believes the collapse of LIV represents a boost for the American PGA Tour, stating that "some people will be disappointed, and those may not be the people you immediately think of".
"The European tour, I am not sure that is such a big win for them," Westwood said. Although LIV players were banned from the PGA Tour, they were able to compete in certain DP World Tour events, which, according to Westwood, gave them a certain leverage. "Now that LIV is out of the way, they have lost that," he added.
Westwood expects the head of the PGA Tour to "play hard" against his European counterparts. "If they want the PGA Tour to continue funding them, there will be big demands," he asserted, adding: "If I were running the PGA Tour, I would play hard and make many demands of the European tour if they expect me to fund it in the future." He also believes that the best European players might be better placed on the Korn Ferry Tour, the American feeder to the PGA Tour, which offers 20 cards and is described as the "premier route".
In July, the American and European tours extended their strategic partnership, which includes annual investment payments (AIP), with the amount last year being £59 million. The PGA Tour allocates cards to the top 10 finishers on the DP World Tour who are not already members. Westwood believes that "many questions still need to be answered" regarding the new terms of the partnership.
A DP World Tour spokesperson told BBC Sport that the tour is in a "strong and healthy position with strong cash reserves". He added that progress has been "remarkable given the devastation on the global golf market caused by an entity that drove prize funds to artificially high levels based on an economically unsustainable model within a false economy". He highlighted that they are looking forward to the 2027 season and beyond because "player interest in competing on our tour has never been stronger".
Westwood did not join LIV 2.0 and is currently "out of work" while considering his future. If he decides to return to the DP World Tour, he would have to serve a suspension of 10 tournaments. The deadline for membership applications to the DP World Tour for the next season is 15 November. Bryson DeChambeau can become a member next year thanks to his victory at the 2024 US Open, but his exemption expires if he does not use it this year. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton did not relinquish their membership, having served their sanctions and paid fines, so they can continue playing in 2027. Sergio Garcia relinquished his membership but can return next season without a suspension because he was penalised upon his initial joining of LIV in 2022. Westwood paid fines but did not serve suspensions.
The PGA Tour announced a new competitive structure in June, featuring a Championship Series and a lower Challenger Series. The Championship Series will include a "limited series" of tournaments co-organised with the DP World Tour. The DP World Tour has so far announced a prize fund for only one tournament in 2027 – the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January. "The PGA Tour has set up this 'plan for the future', and the DP World Tour is not mentioned much in it," Westwood said. "It has already been said that the Korn Ferry Tour will be the main route to the PGA Tour, which leads me to ask what will happen to the DP World Tour."
