Despite never having been a member of the PGA Tour, Bernd Wiesberger left LIV Golf earlier this year and is currently prohibited from competing in two Tour events. Wiesberger was a Ryder Cup competitor.
Despite never having been a part of the American circuit, Bernd Wiesberger has disclosed that he is prohibited from competing in two PGA Tour events later this year because of his prior allegiance to LIV Golf.
After participating in the first two LIV seasons, Wiesberger made the decision to withdraw from the breakaway league and rejoin the DP World Tour in 2024. The former Ryder Cup player completed his suspension and paid his fines from the DP World Tour before making a comeback at the Dubai Desert Classic in January.
Since then, he has participated in eight more events on the European circuit. With the ISCO Championship and Barracuda Championship on the DP World Tour schedule, he would have hoped to play in America later this year.
The two tournaments are officially sanctioned by the PGA Tour. Wiesberger, who has previously competed on the Saudi-backed circuit, has been informed that he is unable to participate in both of the tournaments later this summer, even though they also include their European partners.
He tweeted, revealing the social media ban: “Same here. I recently got a letter from the Pgat prohibiting me from using the Isco and Barracuda games. I’ve also never been a member. Who knows what might be happening over there. In reply, Wiesberger cited remarks made by Henrik Stenson, a former colleague in LIV.
Stenson talked about the Champions Tour’s decision to not give U.S. Senior PGA champion Richard Bland, a participant in the Saudi-backed series, a start. This was discussed in an interview with Mirror Sport. Richard Bland, who won the Senior PGA a week ago, discovered on social media that he would not be getting any starts on the Champions Tour because he plays League of Legends.
“It seems to me that Richard, who has never even played on the PGA Tour, is ineligible to compete on the Champions Tour simply because he plays LIV. There are still issues to be resolved behind the scenes because it’s not like everyone is holding hands and singing songs together. Though it hasn’t been perfect, maybe more intelligent people than us can figure something out.”
A year after the initial framework agreement was announced, the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) are still in negotiations to resolve their disagreement regarding the LIV setup. However, a deal has not yet been finalized. On Friday, representatives from both parties convened in New York City with the aim of advancing talks.
Along with fellow celebrity and business partner Rory McIlroy, who participated in the proceedings through a video call from the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, Tiger Woods was present at the meeting in New York. This week’s tournament, where he is tied for seventh after 36 holes at three under par, provided McIlroy with a counterpoint to the off-course conversations.
