DP World Pro Blasts LIV Golfers as Entitled for Free Pass

A DP World Tour player who does not hold full playing status has publicly accused certain LIV Golf defectors of showing an “incredible amount of entitlement” as they seek to return to the tour without earning their way back.

Eddie Pepperell, a 35-year-old English professional, made the remarks on the Sliced Golf Podcast.

He specifically named Sergio Garcia, the Spanish star who announced on October 29 that he would return to the DP World Tour in 2027 after leaving for LIV Golf.

Pepperell said he has no objection to Garcia returning through the tour’s Category 11 exemption, which Garcia qualifies for because he has cleared his outstanding fines.

But Pepperell sharply criticized Garcia’s attitude and the way other former LIV players are being treated.

“If you want my frank opinion, and given that I’ve just come off an hour-long conversation with Lee [Westwood] only yesterday, and I don’t say this in a derogatory way, certainly towards Lee, I’m not sure these people have it within them,” Pepperell said.

“I don’t think they’re capable of apologizing, and I don’t think they feel like they have anything to apologize for.”

Pepperell said that the lack of accountability speaks to a deeper character issue.

“I think therein lies the message and the lessons, certainly as it relates to Sergio, that there is an incredible amount of entitlement that surrounds that individual,” he said.

“And that might sound like a very harsh thing to say about somebody, but I think there is just now, there’s just in so much incontrovertible evidence that is his personality.”

Pepperell admitted that the criticism was especially personal for him because Garcia was once his favorite golfer.

“He’s always been my favorite player, and it’s taken me a long time to accept that … this is the Sergio Garcia, the person,” Pepperell said.

Garcia’s return to the DP World Tour was announced in a statement on October 29.

Pepperell was unimpressed with the wording.

He suggested the statement lacked authenticity and speculated that someone around Garcia may have prepared it on his behalf.

Pepperell acknowledged that Garcia is still relatively young and could change his approach in the future.

But he said the statement did not reflect genuine remorse or a change in attitude.

The timing of Pepperell’s comments is significant.

This week, the DP World Tour is holding the Final Stage of Qualifying School at Infinitum Golf in Spain.

A field of 156 players is competing for the top 15 spots, which grant Category 18 status for the 2027 season.

Marcus Helligkilde, a Dane who has been battling back from a pinched nerve in his spine that required surgery in October 2025, is among those grinding through the six-round event.

Helligkilde told the DP World Tour that he has spent around £20,000 consulting 30 to 50 experts to diagnose the injury that derailed his career.

He finished 139th on the Race to Dubai rankings this season, which guarantees him only limited playing rights next year.

“I’ve been very stressed out this year, but that is way better than being depressed from not doing anything because you can’t,” Helligkilde said.

He is realistic about his chances this week, knowing that a return to the second-tier HotelPlanner Tour — where he won three times in 2021 — is a real possibility.

“I’ll be OK if I play on the HotelPlanner Tour next season,” he said.

Contrast that with the path available to some LIV defectors.

Players like Garcia, who left the DP World Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, are being welcomed back through exemptions without having to go through Qualifying School or earn their way up from the lower tours.

Pepperell’s central point is that players who never left are fighting for scraps while those who jumped ship are being handed a route back.

He did not name every LIV defector in his criticism, but he made clear that the issue is not limited to Garcia.

His reference to a conversation with Lee Westwood — another veteran who joined LIV — suggests the tension runs through the entire locker room.

Pepperell said he does not believe the LIV defectors feel they have anything to apologize for.

That, he said, is the core problem.

“There is an incredible amount of entitlement,” he repeated.

The DP World Tour has not issued a formal response to Pepperell’s comments.

Garcia has not publicly addressed the criticism.

The tour’s policy on LIV defectors has been inconsistent, with some players facing fines and suspensions while others have been allowed to return under certain exemptions.

Garcia’s return is the most high-profile example so far.

He is a former Masters champion and one of the most recognizable names in European golf.

His return to the DP World Tour in 2027 will draw significant attention.

Pepperell’s remarks have added a layer of tension to what was already a delicate situation.

Meanwhile, at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi this week, players in the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship are wearing shorts during competition rounds for the first time in the tournament’s history.

The DP World Tour and the tournament host made the decision because temperatures are expected to exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with the heat index topping 100 degrees.

Players on the DP World Tour are normally required to wear pants during competition rounds.

Women on various high-level tours have long been allowed to wear shorts regardless of temperature.

The rule change for this week is not unprecedented.

The DP World Tour first allowed shorts during competition rounds at the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Championship, where temperatures also reached dangerous levels.

“It is very nice when common sense comes into play,” Ernie Els said at the time, according to AFP.

“It is going to get close to 40 degrees (Celsius) here and it is the right thing to do.”

European Tour chairman David Williams said ahead of the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Championship that player feedback about the shorts policy had been positive.

“A lot of players were concerned about it,” Williams said.

“In these temperatures it can be pretty uncomfortable out there in trousers.”

Players in the 70-man field at Abu Dhabi have the choice to wear pants or shorts.