When Keith Pelley responded to unfair critical comments about the DP World Tour at the 2023 Abu Dhabi event

While making his 30th season on the tour in January 2023, Lee Westwood expressed concerns about the strength of the tour. The golfer took a jab at the DP World Tour, and Keith Pelley, the CEO of the European Tour, was not one to sit back and relax. He stated bluntly how Westwood’s comments were harsh and unfair to his staff.

Additionally, Westwood mentioned that Shane Lowry was the only player in the top 20 to start the Abu Dhabi championship. Additionally, the golfer called it Keith Pelley propaganda. As a result, Pelley went ahead and expressed his disapproval over the action.

“It was astonishing how many people came up to me and said they were disappointed by comments made by a player earlier in the week and that it was unfair to the staff… I didn’t know really how upset the staff was.”

In the same interview, he continued to emphasize that OWGR rankings cannot serve as the sole standard for evaluating tournament fields. He highlighted how the Abu Dhabi event served as a championship, which would be like social gatherings. Thus, a wide range of golfers were welcome at the event.

“The Abu Dhabi event has now become like the DP World Tour Championship, we have always thought of it like F1, where it is a social event. It’s on the calendar. This doesn’t demean the best players, but it’s another measure of success.

Additionally, the DP World Tour CEO also criticized the LIV defector’s stance by reflecting on how Westwood had no negativity about LIV. Pelley’s retort revealed, quite pertinently, the depth of his displeasure with the golfer’s remarks.

Lee Westwood’s triggering comments at the Abu Dhabi Championship

Lee Westwood has questioned the management of the DP World Tour and the poor selection of a peloton for an event billed as the Abu Dhabi Championship.

“I don’t know where the Tour is now… If you told me I would be playing in a $9 million tournament on Tour, I would have a hard time believing you, but if you told me it If there were only one member of the world’s top 20 in this field, I would think you were crazy.

He went on to say that there weren’t enough strong fields at DP World Tour events. It is clear from the English golfer’s comments that he harbored resentment towards his previous tour, and his comments came from a place of rage. His anger was also justified given that the league’s Saudi-backed OWGR application was still pending and Keith Pelley, as well as PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, wanted no part in the matter.

LIV Golf is currently hanging by a thread as final negotiations with the PGA Tour are underway. LIV players’ resentment towards their previous tours is likely a big reason behind their switch. It’s also why players like Phil Mickelson had to leave the PGA Tour after their repeated calls for change fell on deaf ears. This rebellion thus pushed the PGA Tour to do better and beat the competition it now has in the form of high-priced events and relaxed schedules.