TOURNEWS

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, three of Europe’s most successful Ryder Cup players, have resigned their membership of the DP World Tour on the day that they were due to have paid nes for taking part in LIV Golf’s inaugural event at Centurion Club last year and face further sanctions for breaches of the Tour’s Con icting Tournament Regulation. Their resignations means that that all three players will no longer be eligible to play in DP World Tour events or be able to qualify or be available for selection for the European Ryder Cup team either as players or future captains or vice captains.

Richard Bland, who won last year’s Betfred British Masters, but also joined LIV Golf last year, has also resigned his DP World Tour membership ahead of the May 3 deadline for the £100,000 nes imposed by the DP World Tour to be paid.

It is understood that Westwood paid the he and the other LIV golfers have played in read:

£100,000 ne, but the Tour could potentially issue nes for the 12 subsequent events that he and the other LIV golfers have played in since, amounting to over £1m in nes.

A statement from the DP World Tour read: “The DP World Tour would like to take this opportunity to thank the four players for the contribution they have made to the Tour and in particular to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the signi cant part they have played in Europe’s success in the Ryder Cup over many years. Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices.”

“As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members. The independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions recognised this, determining

Ross Fisher will be teeing it up in his rst major championship since the PGA Championship in 2019 after winning a place in next month’s US Open after coming through a 36-hole international qualifying tournament held at Walton Heath Golf Club on May 16.

The Berkshire-born 42-year-old, who is currently 356th in the world rankings, has played in the US Open ve times in his 17-year professional career, the most recent of which was in 2018, when he nished 48th.

Fisher held a share of the rst round lead after shooting a seven-under 65 on the New Course which featured seven birdies and an eagle. He followed that up with a two-under 70 on the Old Course which proved good enough to secure his berth at the third Major of the year.

“Majors are the pinnacle for any professional golfer, so I’m delighted to be back playing in one again,” said Fisher, who last win on tour was at the European Open in 2016. “I was very fortunate to experience a lot of Majors in my early career and I have missed playing in them. I feel like my game is still there – I just need to put everything together.” did not go beyond what was necessary and proportionate to the Tour’s continued operation as a professional golf tour and that we have a legitimate interest in protecting the rights of our full membership by enforcing it,” the statement concluded.

Fisher was one of seven players to earn the spot in the US Open, which is being held at Los Angeles Country Club in California from June 15-18. The 36-hole qualifying event was taking place at Walton Heath for the rst time since 2019, with a eld of 84 players competing. South Africa’s Deon Germishuys topped the quali ers with a 10-under-par total after rounds of 66 and 68. He will be joined in LA by fellow countryman Wilco Nienaber, four-time DP World Tour winner David Horsey, Sweden’s Jens Dantorp, Spain’s Alejandro Del Rey and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

Westwood said: “It’s a sad day, but I couldn’t see any other option with all the punishments hanging over me. I don’t agree with the direction Keith Pelley [CEO of the DP World Tour] and his board have taken and I want to move on.”

Tiger Woods has had an operation on his ankle that is likely to see the 15-time major champion sit out the rest of the 2023 season while he recovers.

The 47-year-old underwent the surgery on at a private clinic in New York just days after taking part in the Masters, where a subtalar fusion procedure was carried out that will require Woods to wear a cast around his foot for up to three months before rehabilitation can start.

Woods withdrew before the third round of last month’s Masters after he looked in pain throughout the season’s opening major. Following the surgery, which was said to have been successful, he will miss competing in the season’s remaining three major championships, as well as any other tour events.

A statement issued by Mark Steinberg, Woods’s agent, said: “Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation. The rst goal is to recover and lead a much more enjoyable day-to-day life.”

Woods has played sparingly since su ering serious injuries to his right leg in a car crash in February 2021. He has played in just ve o cial PGA Tour events since, and although he’s made the cut in four, he’s only nished two of those events.

Fourteen-year-old French amateur Louise Uma Landgraf underlined that raw talent can overcome experience when winning the Terre Blanche Ladies Open following a tense three-way playo .

The teen sensation closed the Ladies European Tour Access Series event – the second tier of twomen’s professional golf in

Europe – with a 74 to nish on one-under-par in the 36-hole event following an opening 69. Despite starting her nal round with a nervy double bogey, Landgraf bounced back with ve birdies to secure a place in the playo , and then clinched her rst professional victory when birdieing the rst extra hole against her fellow French player Charlotte

Liautier and Pasqualle Co a of the Netherlands. “It feels amazing to win,” said the teenager, who had her father on caddie duties. “To win on a professional tour is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and to do so in my home country is especially nice. It was my rst time playing this course, and I think I did a good job.”

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