Lee Westwood’s stance is clear as LIV Golf star comments on rift with PGA Tour

Lee Westwood wants golf’s damaging civil war between LIV and the PGA Tour to end. Westwood is keen for a compromise to be reached for the sake of the sport's fans.

Two-time Masters runner-up Westwood is set to compete at the US Senior Open this week, having made his over-50 tour debut a year late. That was partly due to the PGA Tour’s ban on LIV Golf defectors, amid hostility since the Saudi-backed circuit was controversially launched in 2021.

The PGA Tour’s policy currently states that LIV golfers have to wait a year from their last appearance before being allowed to play in PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions events. The former finally announced in June last year that it had reached a framework agreement with Saudi’s Public Investment Fund to end the ongoing dispute by effectively merging the two sides. 

But the peace agreement is still yet to be completed with talks ongoing. And the delay is negatively affecting fans as well as players, according to Westwood.

The 51-year-old said on Tuesday: "At the end of the day, we're in the entertainment industry. No matter what the level of golf is, I think if the best players at every level don't come together and play, there's only one loser, and that's the fans watching. 

"We need to somehow figure out a way that we can get the best players playing against each other more often."

Westwood also has outstanding fines of £850,000 from the European tour for competing in the LIV Golf League while still a member, which he admitted he has no intention of paying. “We’ll have to find a way around that,” he said.

"At any level, it's disappointing they can't resolve it. The Champions Tour for me is important because people have watched me play and other guys out here play for the last 30, 40 years, and they build relationships with those players and they've seen us grow as players and people.

"Yes, people want to see the youngsters, the new guys on the block coming through and contending. But they also want to see the guys they've made a bond with over the last 30, 40 years."

Westwood is coming off a tie for third-place at last week’s LIV event in Tennessee. It marked the best result of the season for him.

The Englishman reached No.1 in the world rankings after four top three finishes in five majors. In doing so, he ended Tiger Woods’ incredible run of 281 weeks as the top ranked golfer.