Poulter and Westwood Pay £850,000 Fines to Clear Path Back to DP World Tour

Overview

• The DP World Tour confirmed Thursday that Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood each paid about £850,000 (roughly $1.1 million) to settle long‑standing fines for playing LIV Golf events in 2022.
• Payment of the penalties removes the financial barrier to membership and makes both players eligible to rejoin the tour in November, though suspensions tied to the sanctions must be served when their memberships resume.
• The tour reiterated that existing rules introduced in 2017 bar former non‑members from serving as Ryder Cup captain or vice‑captain, so paying the fines does not restore leadership eligibility.
• The fines stem from breaches of the DP World Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation and were upheld by a Sport Resolutions body in Britain as fair and proportionate after legal challenges by players.
• The settlements come as LIV Golf faces reported funding pressure after the Public Investment Fund scaled back support, a development that may have influenced players’ decisions and that could shape the rival league’s future.