Sign up for our daily newsletter

Latest news, reviews, analysis and opinion, plus unmissable deals for bunkered subscriptions, events, and our commercial partners.

Scott Hend has hit out at the DP World Tour after it announced sanctions against players who participated in the opening LIV Golf Invitational Series event a fortnight ago.

The tour this morning broke its silence on the chaos caused by the Saudi-funded circuit by slapping a £100,000 fine on each of its members who played in the tournament at Centurion Club.

It has also banned them from participating in the PGA Tour co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open and Barbasol Championship (July 7-10) as well as the Barracuda Championship (July 14-17), with the threat of further sanctions for players who participate in future conflicting LIV Golf tournaments without a release.

Hend, 48, told bunkered.co.uk that the sanctions actually went further than that.

• Paige Spiranac brands Mickelson “fake”

• LIV Golf responds to PGA Tour shake-up

He revealed that he has been issued a £12,000 fine for playing in the Asian Tour’s ‘International Series’ event at Slaley Hall at the start of June, an event that doubled-up as a qualifying tournament for the LIV London tournament.

This is in spite of verbal assurances given to Hend by DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley that he would NOT be sanctioned.

“I’m second on the Asian Tour career money list and I’m a past Order of Merit champion,” he said. “I play and have played on the Asian Tour whenever I’m able, albeit not so much lately because Asia hasn’t fully re-opened following COVID.

“So, I didn’t think there would be any issue playing in that event but I did the right thing and asked the DP World Tour for clarification. Nobody responded to me, either by phone or email, to tell me yes or no. However, in a private meeting I had with Keith Pelley beforehand, I asked him the question and he told me, ‘Yep, no worries, no issue, you can go do that, not a problem.’

“Last week, I got a notice of breach from somebody else at the tour, which I immediately appealed, and then this morning I received a fine for £12,000. I mean, what is that all about?

• Rory brands LIV defectors “duplicitous”

“You know, you’ve got a guy like Wade Ormsby who played in the International Series event in Thailand which was opposite the Kenya Open. No sanctions. But I play in the England event, opposite the Porsche European Open, which wasn’t even in the same country, and I get fined for it. That can’t be right.”

Hend, who stressed that he is by no means a LIV golfer and “can see both good and bad things” about the new venture, added that he believes the DP World Tour is wrong to have retrospectively fined and suspended the rebels.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “Absurd. They could have said, ‘Okay, go and play there if you want but these will be the consequences.

“It’s like giving somebody a driving licence, saying that they might – might – get into trouble if they speed, and then taking away their licence when they do it.”

Hend was speaking to bunkered.co.uk ahead of the second round of this week’s BMW International Open in Munich where ten LIV golfers are in the field.

• PGA Tour chief calls LIV an “irrational threat”

Nine of them have been put together in three groups of three for the opening two rounds, which, according to the Aussie, was no accident.

“Apparently, they’ve been paired together because of the animosity the other players have towards them,” he said. “That’s just not right. There’s no animosity whatsoever. None at all.

“I just don’t understand what the tour is trying to achieve. It’s all so petty, childish and uncalled for.”


author headshot

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

More Reads

Image Turnberry green

The bunkered Golf Course Guide - Scotland

Now, with bunkered, you can discover the golf courses Scotland has to offer. Trust us, you will not be disappointed.

Find Courses