Golf's Big Split: DP World Tour Bans LIV Players From 2027 Season
Golf's Big Split: DP World Tour Bans LIV Players From 2027 Season
The DP World Tour has laid down the law! From 2027, players must choose between the DP World Tour and the relaunched LIV Golf, impacting Ryder Cup eligibility. What will top golfers do?
The world of professional golf is bracing for another seismic shift as the DP World Tour announced a significant hardening of its stance against players who choose to join the relaunched LIV Golf series. From 2027, golfers will no longer be able to hold membership with both tours, forcing a critical choice upon them that could have major implications for their careers and eligibility for prestigious events like the Ryder Cup.
Previously, players contracted to LIV Golf were granted conditional releases allowing them to participate in certain DP World Tour events. This system allowed prominent names such as Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tom McKibbin to maintain their DP World Tour membership. However, the upcoming changes mean this dual-membership option will cease to exist.
Players will now be required to disclose their playing intentions for consideration when their membership is decided.
Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, made the tour's position clear to BBC Sport: "Players need to make a choice. We have rules and regulations which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by.
Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour." This ultimatum puts several high-profile golfers in a tough spot, especially those aspiring to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, as only DP World Tour members are eligible for selection.
The timing of this announcement comes as LIV Golf prepares for a relaunch in 2027 with new financial backing. The breakaway series had previously lost funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) earlier this year, leading to uncertainty and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in September as it restructured.
BC Partners Credit was recently confirmed as a new partner, providing up to $300 million to support LIV's next phase, which includes players becoming equity owners.
This decision impacts players like Hatton and Rahm, who have been integral to Europe's Ryder Cup efforts. While Rahm is reportedly considering leaving LIV, others like Laurie Canter, Adrian Meronk, and David Puig, who received conditional releases for 2026 LIV events, now have a deadline of November 16 to decide their future.
Puig has already indicated he will not join the relaunched series, and Sergio Garcia's LIV contract has been terminated.
The golf world watches to see how this definitive stance will reshape the professional landscape.
