Lee Westwood has 44 career victories and has represented Europe in 10 Ryder Cups
Lee Westwood says he “and many others” have asked to be released from the PGA and DP world tour to play in the first event in June of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational series by Greg Norman.
The $ 250 million (£ 200 million) series is considered the first incarnation of the proposed breakaway Super League.
“It’s my job. I’m doing it for money. That’s not the only reason,” he said.
“But if someone comes and gives one of us a chance to increase his salary, then you have to seriously consider it.”
Another Englishman, Richard Bland, who is defending the title of this week’s British Masters tournament at The Bellfry, has also asked to be released for the event, which takes place at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire from 9-11 June.
Six-time big winner Phil Mickelson became one of the first high-profile players to request a release from the PGA Tour last month.
The 51-year-old missed the Masters in April while taking a break from the game after apologizing for his criticism of the Saudi regime.
It is unclear which other players have applied for release.
The PGA and Europe-based DP World Tours have previously threatened lifelong bans on deserters for the breakaway project, which will include eight 54-hole events in Europe, America and Asia.
Norman has postponed his plans to host the series as a league format, instead each event will be held as a tournament with an invitation until 2024.
Westwood, who said he had not yet heard of his request, believed the new series could work with existing Tours instead of threatening them.
“He is portrayed as ‘us and them,’ while the people at LIV Golf, all the reports I’ve seen, say they want to stand shoulder to shoulder,” the 49-year-old said.
“People always have a problem with change, don’t they?”
“The change in competition is good in every area of life. It shakes things up and keeps everyone on their feet and makes everyone try to improve and enhance their product.”
Saudi Arabia has been accused of investing in sports and using high-profile events to “wash away” its reputation in other parts of the world.
Asked about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, Westwood said he believed the country was trying to change, adding that PGA and European Tours had sanctioned events in the country before.
“I think Saudi Arabia is trying to get more western and make changes and they are trying to make changes quickly and that probably worries a lot of people and scares a lot of people,” he said.
“But they’re just trying to improve, aren’t they? People are giving it different names. But I believe that sport and politics shouldn’t mix.”
In response, Felix Jakens, head of Amnesty International’s priority campaigns in the UK, said: “Lee Westwood is clearly right about the extent to which sport and politics should mix, but the Saudi authorities are pumping huge sums of money into golf and other sports, in order to wash away their battered international image, it is clear that golf tournaments like this are now politically complete. “
The series suffered a series of setbacks earlier this year when former US Open winners Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeShambo reaffirmed their commitment to the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf Invitational 2022 schedule
June 9-11: Centurion Golf Club – London
July 1-3: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club – Portland
July 29-31: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster – New Jersey
September 2-4: Boston International
September 16-18: Rich Harvest Farms – Chicago
October 7-9: Stonehill Golf Club – Bangkok
October 14-16: Royal Greens Golf Club – Jeddah
October 28-30: Team Championship
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