Three golfers who have moved on to the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series will be allowed to compete this week in the Scottish Open, a tournament that is part of the DP World Tour. That has been decided by a British judge.
Englishman Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui of Spain and South African Justin Harding had gone to court to challenge their suspension from the DP World Tour.
After a hearing, that sanction was suspended, allowing Poulter, Otaegui and Harding to tee off at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Thursday.
Sixteen golfers are said to have demanded in a letter on Friday that their suspension be reversed so that they can still participate in the Scottish Open. They issued an ultimatum and threatened to go to court, which Poulter, Otaegui and Harding have now done – with success.
Many golfers from the American PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) have made the switch to the highly lucrative but controversial LIV Series. The new series of tournaments is funded by investors from Saudi Arabia.
Because of the human rights violations in that country, the golfers who opt for the big money in the LIV Series are subject to considerable criticism. Both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour imposed a suspension on the ‘switchers’.