While Martin Kaymer is playing, he is fined 116,000 euros
“If some tours take it personally, that’s their problem”
Martin Kaymer caused a stir with his participation in the controversial Saudi tour. Before the start of the BMW International Open, the golf pro was critical of possible sanctions imposed by the DP World Tour – and showed a lack of understanding for the PGA’s decision.
DParticipation in the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series is costing German pro Martin Kaymer dearly. The European DP World Tour fined 37-year-old Kaymer and other participants in the millions of Saudi-funded LIV tournament in London £100,000.
In addition, World Tour players who teed off at Centurion Club earlier this month will be suspended from the Scottish Open and Barbasol Championship (both July 7-10) and Barracuda Championship (July 14-17). . The major tournament around the British Open is exempt from the ban.
“Every action one takes in life has consequences,” DP World Tour boss Keith Pelley said in a statement on Friday. It’s no different in professional sport: “Especially when someone decides to break the rules. That’s what happened here with several of our members.”
While the DP World Tour took a long time to make such a decision, the North American PGA Tour reacted much earlier and sharper. She completely locked out every professional who competed in London.
The LIV series is criticized because of the millions invested in Saudi Arabia. The background is that the country, which has been criticized for human rights violations, is trying to improve its reputation with lucrative sporting events.
“That doesn’t make any sense to me,” Kaymer said
Kaymer, who has been playing at the BMW International Open in Eichenried near Munich since Thursday, finished 15th in the LIV premiere. For this, he received an incredible $240,000 in prize money, so he can pay the penalty for the European tour with it. He had recently defended his participation again.
“Of course you can understand the criticism. But if you look behind the curtain on the LIV tour, you have to look behind the curtain on everything else. I want to do my sport,” said Kaymer in an interview with “Sports Illustrated” and stressed that he did not identify with Saudi Arabia: “We also played the European Tour in Saudi Arabia. We were even asked if we wanted to compete there. Now it’s a mistake. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Next stop of the Saudi series is from June 30th to July 2nd in Portland, USA. Kaymer is also on the starting list for this tournament. Should World Tour players participate in further LIV events, further consequences have been threatened.
“I just found out,” Kaymer said
The penalty against Kaymer and the other players was imposed while he was away for the second round in Munich. He finished with a 72 at midday and after two days is six strokes under par at the top of the leaderboard. The second round lasted until early evening.
“I just found out,” said Kaymer, who apparently had not been warned, to Sky: “There had to be consequences.” But he doesn’t understand “that you can be against each other like that. You have to sit down at a table and talk. It would be nice if we could find solutions together. I hope that the whole thing can still be saved, but it’s five to twelve.” Kaymer stands by his decision and doesn’t regret it, but stressed how much he cares about the European tour: “I’m not against it any tour.”
