Lee Westwood sees a rough road ahead for the DP World Tour now that LIV Golf has stopped operations. The former world number one believes the European circuit lost its main bargaining chip the moment the breakaway tour shut its doors. Westwood told BBC Sport on Friday that the end of LIV might not be the victory everyone expects for Europe. He suggests the PGA Tour should stop handing out money without demanding much in return.
The Leverage Is Gone
For years, LIV players could not touch PGA Tour events but could still play on the DP World Tour. This rule gave the European circuit a unique advantage in talks with the Americans. Westwood noted that this setup gave them some “leverage” while the rival tour was still active. The 53-year-old explained the situation clearly in his interview with BBC Sport.
“LIV going out of business, some people will be disappointed and it might not be people that you immediately think of,” Westwood said. He added that “The European tour, I’m not sure it’s such a big win for them.” The financial stakes are high, with the PGA Tour paying £59m last year to keep the alliance alive. The alliance deal was extended in July, but the terms look shaky without the threat of a rival tour.
Play Hardball or Walk Away
Westwood has a clear message for PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp. If the DP World Tour wants the PGA Tour to keep bankrolling the European side, the price must go up. According to BBC News, Westwood stated he would be “playing hardball and making a lot of demands of the European tour if they expected me to finance it going forward.”
The former Ryder Cup hero even suggested that Europe’s best players might be better off playing on the Korn Ferry Tour. This US feeder circuit offers a direct path to the PGA Tour without relying on a struggling European alliance. DP World Tour head Guy Kinnings and Rory McIlroy recently concurred that LIV intended to “destroy” their European rivals. Westwood dismissed this view, noting that most LIV players actually used the European Tour to fill their schedules and earn ranking points.
A Robust Defense from Europe
The DP World Tour has not acknowledged any weakness, despite Westwood’s warnings. They claim the progress made is remarkable given the havoc caused by the unsustainable model of the breakaway entity. The tour insists that player interest has never been stronger as they look toward the 2027 season.
Regarding the new partnership terms, Westwood thinks there are “a lot of questions still to be answered” The PGA Tour holds the money, and the European tour needs a plan that does not rely on free cash from the Americans.
