Lee Westwood Withdraws From LIV Golf Opener With Injury | DP World Tour Sanctions Explained
⛳ Lee Westwood’s 2026 LIV Golf season hasn’t even started — and it’s already on hold.
The former world No. 1 will miss LIV Golf’s season opener in Saudi Arabia after suffering a wrist injury during pre-season practice, forcing him to sit out not just Riyadh, but also event No. 2 in Adelaide later this month.
Westwood was set to return alongside his Majesticks GC teammates — Ian Poulter, Sam Horsfield, and Laurie Canter — before the setback derailed his plans.
📢 In a statement posted on X, Westwood confirmed:
“Thankfully, it’s nothing too serious. However, I’ve been advised to manage my rep count over the coming weeks.”
While the injury is not considered long-term, the timing couldn’t be worse as LIV Golf launches its 2026 campaign under the lights in Riyadh.
🔁 Who replaces Westwood?
DP World Tour member Ben Schmidt will make his LIV Golf debut, stepping in for the injured Englishman. But that move comes with consequences.
⚠️ The DP World Tour has confirmed Schmidt was not granted a release to play the LIV events and will be sanctioned under the tour’s “conflicting events” rule — the same policy that has sparked years of controversy since LIV’s inception.
💥 That rule previously led to Westwood and Ian Poulter resigning their DP World Tour memberships. Others, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, have chosen to remain members of both tours — though both have been fined and are still appealing their sanctions.
📊 Adding another layer to the story, reports surfaced last weekend suggesting the DP World Tour is in talks with players about potentially ending its fines system from 2026 onward. However, any outstanding penalties from previous seasons would still need to be resolved.
📌 Importantly, these discussions are understood to be between the DP World Tour and its members, not LIV Golf as an organization — and no agreement has yet been reached.
🏌️♂️ Westwood now targets a season debut in Hong Kong, while the bigger questions around LIV Golf, tour sanctions, and player eligibility remain unresolved.
👇 Watch the full breakdown to understand:
• Why Westwood is sidelined
• What Ben Schmidt’s debut really means
• And whether the DP World Tour’s fines system is finally changing
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