If Lee Westwood is indeed risking a Ryder Cup ban if and when he plays in next month’s opening Saudi rebel event then he claims no to understand why. The veteran Englishman finally broke his silence and admitted on Wednesday that he has applied for a release to compete in the £20 million ($25m) tournament in St Albans, but also delivered an impassioned argument of why he should be allowed to play on the breakaway circuit.
Westwood, 49, is one of only two members of the world’s top 60 in attendance here at the £1.6m British Masters, an event he won at this famous venue 15 years ago. More than any of England’s top players of the last 20 years, the former world No 1 has played regularly on the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – despite the greater riches on offer on the PGA Tour.
But now the Saudis, with Greg Norman as their front man, are launching their LIV Golf Invitational Series in Hertfordshire and, as the twilight of his career fades ever more noticeably, Westwood has decided that he wants to accept their advances and enjoy what could be a record payday.
While the winner here on Sunday will receive £308,333, at Centurion the winning cheque will be for almost £3.12m – and this extraordinary differential goes across the board. The player who finishes 12th at Centurion will walk away with more than The Belfry victor. Meanwhile, the player who finishes last in the 48-man field will pocket £96,000 – and any pro here hoping to better that return will need to finish in the top three.
In truth, comparing the respective prize funds of these two English events is akin to comparing the yardages off the Bournemouth seafront pitch-and-putt to those of that Beast of Angus called Carnoustie.
When the entire Saudi saga blew up a few years ago, Westwood called the figures “a no brainer” and is steadfastly sticking to that narrative. “If I’d told those mates that I grew up playing with in Worksop that I’ve been given an opportunity to play in a tournament, a 48-man tournament for $25 million, they would probably pull me to one side and say ‘what is it you’re actually thinking about?’,” Westwood said.
“This is my job. I do this for money. It’s not the only reason for doing it, but if anybody comes along and gives any of us a chance at a pay rise, then you have to seriously consider it.”
But what about the Ryder Cup, goes the yell, and what about the Saudis’ human rights record and the accusations of sportswashing? Westwood first dealt with the question of the biennial dust-up, a match in which he has appeared in 11 times, a Europe record he shares with Sir Nick Faldo.
The word from Wentworth HQ is that Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour chief executive, will not grant a release to any member and anybody who goes ahead and plays anyway could face the prospect of a suspension that might also take in the Ryder Cup and next year’s renewal in Rome.
“Why should it?” Westwood replied when asked if he feared his Centurion involvement would lead to a ban. “The European Tour have no problem with me being a PGA Tour member, so this is just another tour…”
Westwood bemoans the obstacles erected in the Saudis’ path.“This is being portrayed as an us and them, whereas the people from LIV Golf have said that they want to stand side-by-side,” he said. “They are not going up against any of the really massive tournaments. They want everybody to be able to play, have options. They are not forcing anybody’s hand, so I believe…
“I don’t think it’s a case of fairness. I think it’s a case of whichever authority is feeling whatever they do is right. I’ve supported The European Tour for 29 years. I’ve never been driven by playing on the PGA Tour like a lot of the guys have. My goal has always been to be a European Tour member. I’ve hosted events on this tour and obviously played wherever I can through Covid and stuff like that.
“I’ve always tried to support the European Tour as much as I can. I’ve asked for releases for tournaments for as long as I’ve been on Tour. I’ve asked for many, I’ve not heard anything back yet. The ball is in the European Tour’s court.”
Of course, the difference is that this is the first time Westwood has ever asked for a release to play in an event on UK soil. And then there is the provenance of the extreme finance itself.
“Well, Saudi Arabia money is in all different sports, isn’t it, now, whether it be football or F1,” he said. “The first time I ever played in Saudi Arabia was on The European Tour [in 2019]. So they had no problem with where the money came from. And the PGA Tour gave releases to their players to play the Saudi event this year. So they have no problem with where the money comes from.
“I think Saudi Arabia is trying to become more westernised and make changes quickly, and that’s probably worrying and scaring a lot of people. But they are just trying to improve, aren’t they? People give it different names, but I’m of a belief that sport and politics shouldn’t mix, as we have seen it doing in Wimbledon, tennis, with the Russian players not being allowed to play there. I happen to disagree with what, as a lot of people do. I’ve seen Rafael Nadal come out about it. If it all comes down to opinions at the end of the day, doesn’t it?”
It was a tough day for the DP World Tour to listen to the protagonists trooping in and out of the interview room. Earlier Richard Bland, the defending champion, confessed that he has also put in the forms for a release. Many more have, including Sergio Garcia and world No 16 Louis Oosthuizen. The DP World Tour’s deadline to apply is next Monday. The issue is the great elephant on this course.