Lee Westwood says if he will pay his £850,000 fine from the European Tour

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Lee Westwood had been forced to delay his debut US Senior Open appearance in part because of his PGA Tour ban.

The 51-year-old received the invite to the competition as a recent Ryder Cup player, but there is a ban on LIV Golf players in place.

Two-time Masters runner-up Westwood is, however, now in the field at the USGA-run event at the Newport Country Club this week.

The Brit could, however, be somewhat distracted at his over-50 tour debut by the hefty fine hanging over him.

The former world number one has been fined £850,000 by the European Tour since his move to LIV Golf, and is yet to pay that fee.

Lee Westwood shares update on £850,000 European Tour fine

Westwood has received the sanction for competing in the LIV Golf League while still being a member of the European Tour.

The outstanding fines have come since his move alongside fellow Englishman Ian Poulter back in 2022, with Westwood now sharing an update on what he plans to do with the fines that have gone his way.

“We’ll have to find a way around that,” said Westwood, as quoted by Sky Sports. “At any level, it’s disappointing they can’t resolve it.

“The Champions Tour for me is important because people have watched me play and other guys out here play for the last 30, 40 years, and they build relationships with those players and they’ve seen us grow as players and people.

“Yes, people want to see the youngsters, the new guys on the block coming through and contending. But they also want to see the guys they’ve made a bond with over the last 30, 40 years.”

Mixed messages between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour

The dispute between LIV Golf and the likes of the European Tour and PGA Tour roars on, with no signs of slowing down.

And with decisions such as Westwood’s, there could be no end in sight, even with the potential PGA and LIV merger.

Players who joined the latter are banned from the former, although the four majors of the year are not included given how they are operated by their own governing bodies.

That exemption came to light in the latest major, with Bryson DeChambeau lifting the US Open trophy earlier this month.

The LIV Golf star edged out Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2, with the two players at very opposite ends of the ongoing tour debate.

The tense situation has caused friction in very recent times, with Mackenzie Hughes speaking last week of his hatred for Jon Rahm’s decision to defect to LIV ahead of this season.

But it hasn’t all been toxic, with DeChambeau revealing that a potentially surprising name from the PGA Tour congratulated him on his US Open success, although he would not reveal who.