“Not welcome”: LIV stars barred from Wentworth pro-am

LIV Golf players in the field for next week’s BMW PGA Championship have been told they are not welcome at the event’s pro-am.

According to the Telegraph’s James Corrigan, they have also been asked not to wear any logos connected to the breakaway tour.

And such is the animosity between the tour and the LIV faction, the players are reportedly being excluded from featured group coverage on TV.

“You will not be required to play in the Wednesday pro-am and out of respect for our broadcasters and your fellow competitors we would kindly ask you to consider not wearing LIV Golf apparel,” an email to each of the LIV players read.

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No fewer than 18 rebels are in the field for the DP World Tour’s showpiece event at Wentworth.

Although the PGA Tour has suspended LIV players, the European circuit’s punishments were put on hold last month.

Having initially banned players from its PGA Tour co-sanctioned events and handed down fines of £100,000, a group of players – including Ian Poulter – won a temporary reprieve to allow them to play in the Genesis Scottish Open.

It means they are able to play on the tour, with Poulter and several others doing so on more than one occasion since the interim ruling.

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Any player in the top 60 of the world ranking is also permitted to play, with Patrick Reed, Kevin Na and Talor Gooch taking advantage of the loophole.

However, their inclusion is thought to have created a headache for tour chiefs amid fears of tensions between players.

Rory McIlroy claimed it will be “hard to stomach” playing alongside the defectors in Surrey, while Matt Fitzpatrick branded the situation “disappointing”.