On Monday, London saw the start of an arbitration hearing to determine the future of the players in the LIV Golf tour breakaway.
A panel of three lawyers representing 13 LIV players and the DP World Tour will present five days of arguments to a panel. The purpose of the hearing is to clarify whether LIV golfers are allowed to continue playing on the European circuit without sanction.
The case was initiated by players who requested conflicting Event releases from DP World Tour in order play the inaugural LIV Golf tournament in Hemel Hempstead (north London) last June.
Those requests were denied but the players competed at Centurion Club regardless and were fined £100,000 ($120,000) and suspended from the Scottish Open.
Initially Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui Justin HardingAppeal was made against the decision, and the punishments were stayed pending a substantive appel, allowing the players compete in DP World Tour events. Otaegui won the Andalucia Masters in Oct.
The case is being heard behind closed-doors by Sports Resolutions UK, an independent arbitrator. This process avoids a formal court case.
The PGA Tour is currently involved in an anti-trust case with LIV Golf, and a few of its players were suspended for playing on the Saudi-funded circuit. However, DP World Tour officials stressed the narrow parameters” of the arbitration case that focuses solely on conflicting events release regulation and their ability enforce it.
Initially, there were 16 appellants. Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace Charl SchwartzelThey have now withdrawn from this case.
This leaves Poulter Otaegui and Harding, who were the first three players to challenge the ruling last June. Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield, Richard Bland, Shaun Norris, Laurie Canter, Wade Ormsby, Patrick Reed, Bernd Wiesberger, Graeme McDowell Martin Kaymer.
The verdict will not be known for several weeks after the hearing.
The Centurion Club in London, England hosted the first LIV Golf Invitational Series Event.