The LIV Golf rebel and former world No 1 on his Ryder Cup captaincy ambitions, golf’s civil war and why he doesn’t trust the PGA Tour
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Asthegolfworldfizzesattheapproachoftheseason’sfirstmajor,nextweek’sMastersTournament,LeeWestwoodoffersacasestudyinthetensionskeepingthesport’sdividedpowersapart,notwithstandingthetheoreticalsofteninginrelations.
WestwoodhasnotgivenuphisdreamofcaptainingEuropeintheRyderCup,despitenolongerbeingamemberoftheDPWorldTour(akaEuropeanTour),despitebeingsubjecttounpaidfinesof£857kforcontestingunauthorisedLIVGolfevents,anddespitetherulesforbiddingresigneesfromholdingoffice.
Westwood,formerworldNo1and,afterRoryMcIlroy,thetour’stopprize-moneywinner,hasbeenincontactwiththeDPWorldTour,viaitsplayerrelationsdirectorStuartCage,inaboldattempttosetasidethepastandreachsomesortofcompromisethatreflectsthemuch-changedpoliticallandscape.
Encouragedbythecurrentdiscussionsongoingbetweenallthemainpartiesingolf–thePGATour,thePublicInvestmentFund(PIF)ofSaudiArabia(financialba
