Lee Westwood signs Super League NDA

Former world No.1 Lee Westwood revealed he signed a non-disclosure agreement preventing him discussing a rumoured Super League. 

The 48-year-old is one of a host of star names playing in this week’s Saudi International despite the DP World Tour ending its association with the event amid fears of a Saudi-backed breakaway competition. 

Vast appearance fees have been paid out to some of the biggest names in the game in exchange for playing in the tournament, which is now the Asian Tour’s flagship event. 

When Westwood was asked about the proposed rival circuit to the main tours in a pre-tournament press conference, he said: “I don’t know whether I want to answer questions on that. I’ve signed an NDA.” 

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Several other big names are understood to have been approached with a view to taking part, including both Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter. 

The latter has been told he faces a lifetime ban from the DP World Tour, the PGA Tour and the Ryder Cup if he accepts an offer of $30 million. 

Although Westwood was coy on the subject of the super league, he did discuss the relationship between the traditional main tours and the Asian circuit.

“The players of the other tours see the Asian Tour as a threat now, don’t they, because of the huge investment,” he said.  

“It’s kind of like a game of poker really where the European Tour and the PGA Tour have had the biggest hand, and now there’s somebody else come to the table with more chips, so everybody is on their guard and very defensive and are clearly seeing the Asian Tour as a threat. 

“Nobody can deny that. There wouldn’t have been all this trouble with releases and things like that if that wasn’t the case.” 

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“I can see why they feel threatened,” he added.  

“But at the same time, the PGA Tour and the European Tour have gone into areas I suppose in the Asian Tour’s path over the years and never had any problem playing tournaments all over Asia and the Middle East, which I think has probably cost Asia, as well. 

“Now that the Asian Tour has this backing, it appears to me like they’re just doing what the PGA Tour and the European Tour have been doing the last 25 years.”