Lee Westwood banned from Senior Open over outstanding fines

LIV Golf star Lee Westwood has had his application to play in the Senior Open rejected.

Westwood had planned to make his debut in the competition at Royal Porthcawl in July, having recently turned 50, but his application was dismissed due to outstanding fines administered by the DP World Tour.

The rejection email, which was also sent to fellow Englishman Richard Bland, read: “The committee has considered your application and is not willing to approve it, because you have outstanding fines imposed on you by the DP World Tour for breaching its Conflicting Tournament Regulations. You will therefore be removed from the entry list and your entry fee will be refunded with immediate effect.”

The news comes as a particular surprise – not only given the recent bombshell that the PGA and DP World Tours have entered into an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, but because the majors have largely stayed out of the so-called civil war that has blighted golf for the past two years.

Bland, who put a screenshot of the email on his Instagram account, captioned the post, “And there’s me thinking things have changed” with a laughing emoji.

Westwood also used social media to highlight his confusion, saying he doesn’t have any fines due to his lack of desire to rejoin the DP World Tour.

The Senior Open Championship Committee went on to remind both players that the entry deadline is on July 6 should they “settle outstanding fines and wish to re-enter”.