Swedish Henrik Stenson has abandoned the European circuit of golf after those responsible imposed this Thursday new economic sanctions on players who compete without permission in golf tournaments LIV, supported by Saudi Arabia.
“It’s unfortunate that it has come to this, but it is what it is and it’s certainly not expected,” the 47-year-old Scandinavian, who has been ousted as captain of the European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup, told Golf Digest after joining the LIV last year.
The European Tour, now known as the DP World Tour, announced the new measures on Thursday, saying 26 players had been penalized “on a case-by-case basis”. The fines are between 14,300 and 115,000 euros for each violation of the rules. Suspensions of up to eight contests were also imposed.
In April, the European Tour won a legal battle against 12 players who appealed their €115,000 fines and Scottish Open suspensions for playing in LIV’s inaugural June 2022 event in London. Sergio García from Castellón was the only player who did not pay a fine.
“They didn’t give me a choice, so I quit,” Stenson said. “That’s all. I really don’t think there’s any use in continuing with the subject. I appreciate what the Tour has done for me over the years. But they choose how they want to look at the future. And we, obviously, did the same. Unfortunately, the two things are not coming together at the moment,” lamented Stenson, brilliant 2016 British Open champion.
The Swede joins Sergio García, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland, who left the DP World Tour. They cannot be reinstated until they pay their fines, at which point suspensions will apply.
The LIV, also known as the Super League, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been accused by some human rights NGOs of participating in “sports laundering” by Riyadh, which is eager to improve its reputation through sport.
The American PGA Tour has banned LIV players from participating in its events and a test is scheduled to be held in 2024, but the four Grand Slams (Masters, PGA, US Open and British) have allowed their members to compete as long as ‘t they are classified.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
