Ahead of this week's BMW PGA Championship, LIV Golf rebels making a return to the DP World Tour have been involved in a tense meeting with chief executive Keith Pelley, according to reports. 18 of LIV's players will make a controversial comeback to the Wentworth event, including European stalwarts Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter.
Ahead of the Tour's flagship event in Surrey, the LIV players were involved in a meeting with the CEO in which the defectors put Pelley to the sword regarding their future. Members of the Saudi-backed series were competing in Boston until the early hours of Monday morning UK time, before LIV bosses chartered a plane for those competing to Wentworth to make the meeting in time.
In the midst of golf's ongoing civil war, the DP World Tour issued suspensions and £100,000 fines to those players who decided to defect earlier this summer.
And according to the Daily Telegraph , in the meeting the likes of Poulter, Garcia and Westwood questioned Pelley on the Tour's new 'strategic alliance' with the PGA Tour, as well as asking for an update on their DP World Tour futures. The CEO however did not give much away according to the report though.
One unnamed Tour player told the Telegraph: "KP batted well. He stuck his ground and handled it with aplomb." One LIV player though was less than impressed though, revealing: "We didn’t get in as many questions as we wanted and Keith just kept replying that ‘we’re in the middle of an ongoing legal case, so I can’t give you an answer’.
"He also said that the DP World Tour was a pathway to the PGA Tour, but wouldn’t say ‘feeder tour’. At least, his answers are down in writing now.” Going into the event, Pelley already had a number of warnings for the LIV defectors competing at Wentworth.
This included the Saudi rebels not playing in Wednesday's pro-am event, as well as being snubbed from the TV coverage's featured groups. In a memo he said: "They will not be given any on course competitive disadvantage – i.e. unfavourable tee times – but they will not be required to play in the pro-am on Wednesday and will not be in TV featured groups."
The DP World Tour boss also told the defectors that they were unable to wear any LIV Golf branding whilst competing at the home of European golf. Pelley said: "Out of respect for our partners, our broadcasters and your fellow competitors, we would kindly ask you to consider not wearing LIV Golf-branded apparel during your participation at Wentworth.”
