Ryder Cup hopeful BANNED for four events and FINED £240k after LIV Golf decision
DP World Tour star Adrian Otaegui has been suspended for four events on the DP World Tour and fined a wad of cash after his appearances on LIV Golf last season.
European Ryder Cup hopeful Adrian Otaegui has been banned for four tournaments and fined a whopping £240,000 ($300,000) by the DP World Tour following his involvement with LIV Golf last season, according to the Telegraph.
Otaegui, 30, played in a handful of LIV Golf tournaments during the Saudi-backed circuit's inaugural season, including its first event at Centurion Club in England and their season finale at Trump Doral in Miami.
The DP World Tour first revealed they would dishing out fines and bans to 26 players back in May.
According to a DP World Tour statement that was sent to GolfMagic two months ago, the sanctions were based on individual cases with "fines ranging from £12,500 to £100,000 for each breach and a suspension of up to eight tournaments."
The fine and most importantly the ban will be a major blow to four-time DP World Tour winner Otaegui, who is currently just outside the automatic spots for a place in Luke Donald's 2023 European Ryder Cup side to compete against the United States in Rome.
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Otaegui is currently sixth on the European Points List where the top three players earn automatic spots in the team.
The Spaniard now begins a four-tournament ban on the DP World Tour, which sees him miss out on a number of key events such as this week's European Open, the BMW International Open and the British Masters.
That means his next opportunity to earn any valuable Ryder Cup points will come at the Made In Denmark in early July.
Telegraph's golf correspondent James Corrigan writes:
Otaegui has since pledged his allegiance to the DP World Tour this year after seemingly being overlooked for a place on the 48-man LIV Golf roster for 2023.
In total, Otaegui earned just shy of $1m in earnings on LIV Golf in 2022.
Jon Rahm this week spoke of his fury at his fellow Spaniard and record European Ryder Cup points scorer Sergio Garcia being ruled out of Donald's team.
"A Spanish duo in the Ryder Cup is embedded into the roots of the Ryder Cup," said Rahm.
"Look what Seve [Ballesteros] and Ollie [Jose Maria Olazabal] were able to do throughout their partnership."
Rahm may still get his wish for another Spaniard to join him on the 2023 European Ryder Cup team though.
It's not just Otaegui in the mix for a place in the team as a red-hot Pablo Larrazabal and Jorge Campillo are waiting in the wings at eighth and ninth on the Points List.
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