LIV Golf Pays Record £1.5m Fine to Support Bernd Wiesberger’s DP Tour Comeback

LIV Golf has paid a record fine of about £1.5million for Bernd Wiesberger’s return to the DP World Tour.

Wiesberger, the Austrian Ryder Cup player, is currently serving a ban for appearing on the breakaway league before his contract ended.

Instead of competing at the LIV Q-School event or pursuing LIV’s ‘free agency,’ Wiesberger applied to play again on his home Tour. His application was approved if he agreed to fulfill the sanctions imposed for playing on LIV without permission.

Along with a suspension until at least mid-January, Wiesberger faced the largest financial penalty in golf history.

LIV settled the fine on Wiesberger’s behalf, completing an obligation after he was signed last year. Originally guaranteed playing in both LIV and the DP World Tour, it was later decided that the Tour was within its right to exclude players who broke the membership rules.

Wiesberger’s fines continued to accumulate, reaching an astonishing amount due to his participation in 22 LIV events over two years, collecting over £3.5million in prize money.

After completing all sanctions, Wiesberger’s application for reinstatement was accepted by the DP World Tour. He expressed his commitment to social media, emphasizing his focus on playing a full schedule next year.

Wiesberger’s return suggests a potential pathway back for other LIV players, pending ongoing negotiations regarding a possible merger between the Saudi sovereign wealth fund – that supports LIV – and the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

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