The DP World Tour will not accept LIV Golf players as members in 2027, BBC Sport reported on Monday, forcing golfers to choose between the European circuit and the restructured breakaway league.
Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said players “need to make a choice”, in comments reported by BBC Sport, marking a much tougher stance than the conditional releases that allowed several LIV players to compete on both circuits this year.
“We have rules and regulations which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by,” Kinnings said. “Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour.”
BBC Sport reported that the tour will not accept membership from anyone intending to play on what is being called LIV 2.0, and that players who do not disclose their plans and then go on to play LIV could have their membership terminated.
Why it matters for the Ryder Cup
Players must be DP World Tour members to play for Europe in the Ryder Cup, with the 2027 match at Adare Manor in Ireland. Around 15 LIV players, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez and Tom McKibbin, hold status with the DP World Tour, according to the BBC.
Read more: Golf: Jon Rahm Leaving LIV Golf Over ‘Unacceptable’ LIV 2.0 Terms
Players without that status, such as Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters, would need to go through qualifying school or sign agreements for a set number of tournament invitations. The BBC reported those agreements would only be available to players who were not part of LIV in the future.
Deadlines close in
Players have until 16 November to sign up to the DP World Tour for next season, while LIV Golf must sign its players by 25 October under its court-supervised restructuring, the BBC reported. LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its funding, and last week announced a potential US$300 million financing deal with BC Partners Credit.
Read more: Golf: LIV Golf Secures BC Partners Funding for Restructuring
According to the BBC, the change is understood to be driven mainly by LIV offering players equity in the league, which the tour sees as incompatible with being a members’ organisation. It also comes as the DP World Tour’s strategic alliance with the PGA Tour is being negotiated.
The Australian angle
Australian Elvis Smylie was among the LIV players granted a conditional release to play both tours in 2026, Yahoo Sports reported in August, citing The Athletic.
Lawyers for a group of players including 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau have asked the court to clarify that rejected contracts would amount to “termination”, which would free players to talk to third parties about their futures, the BBC reported.
Rahm, a two-time major winner, has already said he will not continue on LIV, while Sergio Garcia was released from his LIV contract last week. Richard Bland is the only player to have publicly stated a desire to play on LIV 2.0, according to the BBC.
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