Former LIV golfer Bernd Wiesberger claims he has been “banned” by the PGA Tour from playing two events on the DP World Tour calendar this season – despite never having a membership on the US tour.
Austria's most successful golfer began his professional career on the DP World Tour in 2009 and won eight times between 2012 and 2021 – 68 appearances in PGA Tour-sanctioned events in 11 years.
In 2022, less than a year after playing for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup, Wiesberg chose to sign with the LIV Golf League and performed well in the league's first two years before losing his contract to Martin Kaymer's Cleeks.
After paying all fines and fulfilling the sporting sanctions of the DP World Tour, Wiesberg was allowed to return to Europe as he revealed that he had never relinquished his membership.
“I never resigned from my membership, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to play a full schedule,” he said of X. [on the DP World Tour] again.”
Me too. Just got a letter from pgat banning me from playing iso and barracuda. I was never a member either. Who knows what's going on over there… https://t.co/XkCvcJMh1jJune 7, 2024
Since returning to the DP World Tour, Wiesberg has been very consistent – with seven top-25 finishes in nine starts and a T2 finish at the last European Open.
But because of his previous relationship with LIV, his original plan to play in two events this July, which are sanctioned only by the PGA Tour and offer 50 slots to DP World Tour members, will have to be put on hold.
Wiesberger posted on X: “Me too. Just got a letter from pgat forbidding me to play iso [newly-sponsored ISCO Championship] and barracuda [championship]. I have never been a member. Who knows what happened over there…”
The 38-year-old's post was in response to comments from current LIV co-captain Henrik Stenson, who spoke to the Mirror about the ongoing divisions in men's professional golf a year after the framework agreement was signed.
“I thought it was supposed to be a truce when the framework agreement became official,” Stenson said. “But a week ago, Richard Brand won the PGA Senior Championship and he found out on social media that ‘because you’re playing in the LIV, you’re not going to have any chance on the Champions Tour.’”
“I mean, Richard was never a member of the PGA Tour, but just because he plays on the LIV, he can’t play on the Champions Tour, that’s my understanding.
“Behind the scenes, not everyone is holding hands and singing along, so there are things that need to be worked out… It’s not an ideal situation, but hopefully someone smarter than us can find a solution.”
(Image source: Twitter)
Weisberg’s suspension is related to a rule the PGA Tour implemented when it created the LIV in mid-2022.
In an effort to discourage players from considering a transfer, the PGA Tour said it would ban players from any PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament for one year if they participate in an “unauthorized tournament.”
The rule, which comes into effect at the start of the 2022/23 season, states: “Any player who participates in an unauthorized tournament will be ineligible to compete in any PGA Tour-sanctioned event for one year.”
The Players' Handbook defines an “unauthorized tournament” as “any golf tournament for which the tournament commissioner has refused or has indicated that he will refuse all conflicting tournament releases and/or media releases or which is ineligible for releases because it will be held in North America.”
As far as I know the Scottish Open is a tour co-sanctioned event. Both membership rules apply. Isco and Barracuda are basically a “gift” from the pgat to the dpwt, and only the pgat rules apply. There are no co-sanctioned events. Through this, they decide who plays. Or not. https://t.co/zOTf2I44lPJune 7, 2024
In addition to the PGA Tour, the rule also applies to qualifying events, including Monday qualifiers and Q-School events on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.
Although both the ISCO Championship and the Barracuda Championship are events open to DP World Tour players, they are hosted by the PGA Tour, so Jay Monahan's organization can include (or exclude) any players they wish.
In another post by X, Weisberg was asked if the two tournaments were jointly sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, to which Weisberg responded: “As far as I know, the Scottish Open is a jointly sanctioned event by both tours. Both membership regulations apply.
“Isco and Barracuda are basically a 'gift' from the pgat to the dpwt, and only pgat rules apply. There are no jointly sanctioned events. This way, they decide who plays. Or not.”
The PGA Tour declined to comment when contacted by Golf Monthly.
