After joining LIV Golf, Lee Westwood reaffirms his position on the £850,000 fine.

As he readied himself to compete at the US Senior Open this week, LIV Golf convert Lee Westwood addressed his six-figure fine for severing relations with the PGA Tour once more.

Lee Westwood, the former world No. 1 player, has stated again that he has no intention of paying the £850,000 in fines he still owes the European Tour.

Westwood, 51, was among the first group of players to abandon golf’s establishment in order to compete in the Saudi Arabian-sponsored LIV Golf Series in 2022. As a result, he has since accrued six-figure fines from the European Tour, but he has previously stated that he does not plan to pay the fine.

After turning 50 last year, the veteran was qualified to play on the senior tour, but PGA Tour regulations stopped him from doing so. Athletes are only permitted to compete in PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions events following a year-long hiatus from the LIV Golf League, according to organizational regulations.

Although Westwood is still competing for LIV, his Ryder Cup experience from the previous year has qualified him for this week’s US Senior Open. Before the competition at Newport Country Club, the Nottinghamshire native was questioned about the £850,000 in unpaid fines. He remained certain that he would not be making the payment.

“We need to figure out a way to get around that,” Westwood stated prior to the US Senior Open. It’s unfortunate that they can’t figure it out on any level. For me, the Champions Tour is significant because, over the course of the last 30, 40 years, people have watched me and the other guys here play, forming relationships with those players and witnessing our growth as individuals and athletes.

“It’s true that people want to see the younger generation, the newcomers to the scene, succeeding. But they also wish to visit the guys with whom they have become close over the previous thirty to forty years.”

Despite missing out on his first year of eligibility, it’s clear the two-time Masters runner-up is adamant about his right to compete on the senior circuit. Along with fellow rebels Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson, Westwood co-captains LIV’s Majesticks squad; nevertheless, the team has not yet won an event this season.

The PGA Tour and LIV have discussed merging on multiple occasions, but the talks have always fallen through due to repeated obstacles. Nonetheless, Westwood emphasized that despite golf’s ongoing great civil war, the fans are his top priority.