A former World No.1 called out “very strange” and “not very nice” treatment as DP World Tour’s double standards resurface.
The debate around how the DP World Tour has handled LIV Golf players refuses to settle, and Martin Kaymer has now added his voice to the discussion with some of the strongest comments to date.
Speaking to Flushing It at the PIF Saudi International, the former World No.1 reflected on how early LIV defectors – including himself – faced severe sanctions and were effectively pushed out, while others have since been allowed far more freedom.
And the 40-year-old made no attempt to hide his thoughts on the inconsistencies:
“The thing is, at the beginning, I think we got the most heat, for leaving certain tours and coming here,” he said. “And the guys who joined earlier, I think, they had the best or the biggest benefits from everything. Which, there’s no judging or right or wrong. Time developed, and therefore certain things played in their hands. Sometimes you do feel like, and this is not towards Tyrrell [Hatton] or Jon [Rahm], but sometimes you feel like they have different rules for different people. I just find it very strange and I would like to understand it.”
Kaymer was one of several European Ryder Cup legends – alongside Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, and Henrik Stenson – who faced fines and suspensions so severe that maintaining DP World Tour membership became virtually impossible. Meanwhile, Rahm and Hatton – who joined LIV later – have been given far more flexibility, including Ryder Cup eligibility.
Kaymer openly questioned how such decisions can coexist:
“How can there be a lawsuit going on, and then you play the Ryder Cup? It’s very strange for me as a non-lawyer. But again, I’m happy for them because I see the point of view from the athlete. It’s great to compete wherever you want to play and everybody’s welcoming you with open arms. So, that is obviously an amazing situation to be in.”
Kaymer then insisted he wouldn’t say anything bad about the European Tour, before proceeding to say something bad about the European Tour…
“I can’t say anything bad about the European Tour because they never said anything bad about me,” he said. “They treated other players… if we talk about Henrik Stenson, he had the Ryder Cup captaincy. It’s okay to give that up. But the way everything worked out for Henrik was painful to watch. It’s not very nice to treat people like that. But regarding myself, they have been always nice to me. I can’t say any bad word about them.”
Despite his frustrations, Kaymer insisted he hopes to one day return to DP World Tour action, even if the path back remains uncertain:
“I really hope that I can play on the European Tour in certain events next year or the coming future. I don’t know how they handle the whole thing going forward – where do they want to go? Where are they seeing the European Tour? That is obviously out of my hands, and unfortunately, I don’t know about it. I hope they figure it out.”
Will LIV and the DP World Tour ever resolve the fines?
On the matter of a resolution that could settle the fines and suspensions that caused several players to resign their DP World Tour memberships, Kaymer doesn’t sound overly optimistic:
“I believe Scott O’Neil and the main guys from PIF, if we talk about Yasir, I think they are trying to figure it out, but… you know, you have so many moving factors in there. For me, it doesn’t really make a difference. I hope for the game of golf they will, but I think it’s gonna be too tricky. The PGA Tour is also involved, because they bought into the European Tour. So there’s so many moving factors. I really hope they do and Scott, I know that he has a plan, but I guess it’s not only up to him.”
Kaymer’s comments reflect the complexity of a situation that remains unresolved two and a half years after a formal agreement was supposedly reached.
A messy situation that still lacks answers
Kaymer’s words carry extra because of his pedigree in European golf. He’s a former World No.1, a Ryder Cup hero who holed the winning putt at Medinah, an 11-time DP World Tour winner, a two-time major champion, and one of the most decorated European players of his generation. Many of the players most affected by bans and fines share similar long-term contributions to European golf.
Kaymer’s reflections underline a point that remains impossible to ignore: the rules have not been applied evenly. With major names moving between tours freely while others are virtually shut out, clarity is long overdue.
Until the DP World Tour lays out clear, consistent policies, the debate will continue – and the frustration from past European icons will only grow louder.
