Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood Resign From DP World Tour

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood Resign From DP World Tour

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood have resigned from the DP World Tour with immediate effect meaning they will be ineligible from competing in the 2023 edition of the Ryder Cup.

The golfers, who currently play on the LIV Golf series, had previously been sanctioned from joining the Saudi-Arabia-backed breakaway without permission.

As a result of their resignations, they will not be able to represent Team Europe and participate in September’s Ryder Cup.

Garcia, Poulter, and Westwood had been been recognized as honorary lifetime members of the DP World Tour and have played major parts in Team Europe’s success in past Ryder Cup competitions playing in 28 Ryder Cups between them. Westwood also currently holds Europe’s record for the most amount of appearances and Garcia is the leading all-time points scorer.

A statement from the DP World Tour read: “The DP World Tour today confirmed it has received membership resignations from Sergio García, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood who were sanctioned for serious breaches of the Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation committed last June.

“The DP World Tour would like to take this opportunity to thank the four players for the contribution they have made to the Tour and in particular to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the significant part they have played in Europe’s success in the Ryder Cup over many years.

“Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices.

“As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members.

“The independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions recognised this, determining that our Conflicting Tournament Regulation and its application in the circumstances did not go beyond what was necessary and proportionate to the Tour’s continued operation as a professional golf tour and that we have a legitimate interest in protecting the rights of our full membership by enforcing it.

“A further update on other sanctioned members will be provided on Thursday.”