The DP World Tour has reportedly won its legal battle to impose fines and sanctions on LIV players who played in conflicting events without permission.
Players requested "conflicting event" releases from DP World Tour to play in the inaugural LIV Golf event at Centurion Club last June, although those requests were denied, with the players fined £100,000 and initially suspended from the Genesis Scottish Open.
Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding appealed against the decision and the punishments were stayed pending an appeal, a ruling which has allowed LIV players to continue competing on the DP World Tour since without penalty.
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The number of appellants grew to 16, although Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Otaegui withdrew from the case ahead of a five-day arbitration hearing by Sport Resolutions UK in February.
A three-strong panel heard arguments from the DP World Tour and lawyers representing the LIV Golf players, with The Times reporting on Tuesday that a verdict has been reached in favour of the DP World Tour.
A spokesperson for the DP World Tour told Sky Sports: "Out of respect for the confidentiality of the process conducted by Sport Resolutions, we will make no comment on any aspect of the arbitration until the decision is formally announced."
An official announcement is set to be made this week, potentially during the first round of The Masters on Thursday, with 18 LIV players - including some with DP World Tour membership - scheduled to feature at the opening major of the year.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, who has regularly spoken out in support of golf's traditional tours, said ahead of The Masters: "If that's the outcome, then that certainly changes the dynamic of everything.
"I'm not a lawyer, but if the arbitration panel think that's the right decision then you have to go by what they say."
What happens next? Ryder Cup careers over?
While the PGA Tour is involved in a separate anti-trust lawsuit with LIV Golf and a handful of its players who were suspended for playing on the Saudi-funded circuit, DP World Tour officials were only focused on the conflicting event release regulation.
There are 11 events left in the LIV Golf League season, so tournament suspensions from the DP World Tour for playing those tournaments would all-but end any chance of competing on both circuits.
It remains to be seen if the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter will appeal against the verdict or give up their membership of the DP World Tour. The decision would also make it even harder for LIV players to have any chance of qualifying for Europe's Ryder Cup teams going forward.
Sky Sports News' Jamie Weir: "Luke Donald has been quite cagey up until this point and saying that these guys would be eligible to play on his Ryder Cup team, but now clearly they're not and clearly no longer eligible to be captains.
"You look at the likes of Poulter, Westwood, Garcia, McDowell, Kaymer - there's a long list of potential future captains there that will now have nothing to do with the Ryder Cup ever again."
Sky Sports has approached LIV Golf for comment.
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