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The DP World Tour will ban LIV Golf members from competing in its events starting in 2027, ending their eligibility for the Ryder Cup. Players must choose one tour by November 16.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
The DP World Tour has announced that players who sign up for LIV Golf next season will not be allowed to be members of the European tour in 2027. This decision marks a significant shift from previous seasons, where the tour granted conditional releases to allow certain players to compete on both circuits.
The DP World Tour oversees the European team for the Ryder Cup, and only members of the DP World Tour are eligible to play for Europe. In a statement to the BBC, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings said, “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.”
Previously, the tour granted conditional releases to players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, allowing them to play on both the DP World Tour and LIV. However, guidelines now stipulate that double-dipping between tours is not allowed. Players must apply for DP World Tour membership by Nov. 16 and disclose which tours they intend to play on for next year. If players do not disclose an intention to play LIV and subsequently do so, it would be considered grounds for terminating their membership.
About 15 LIV players, including Rahm, Hatton, Victor Perez, and Tom McKibbin, currently have status with the DP World Tour. Other LIV players, such as Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters, do not have such status and would need to go through qualifying school or sign specific agreements to receive tournament invitations. However, these agreements would only be available to players who are not part of LIV in the future.
The change in policy is reportedly driven by LIV Golf offering players equity in the future, which the DP World Tour views as incompatible with its status as a members organization. Additionally, the move comes as the DP World Tour negotiates a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September following the withdrawal of funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The league has secured a possible $300m in financing from BC Partners Credit to attempt to move forward with the 2027 season. Under the terms of its court-supervised restructuring, LIV Golf needs to sign players by Oct. 25.
Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, told BBC Sport last week he was “confident” LIV would have a “critical mass” of players. However, uncertainty remains. Jon Rahm’s attorneys told a New Jersey bankruptcy court that Rahm does not want to be part of LIV’s future. Lawyers for other players, including Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, have sought clarification from the court regarding contract rejections.
This ban effectively ends the dual-tour era for European players, forcing a definitive choice between the traditional tour structure and the LIV Golf model. It also impacts the composition of the European Ryder Cup team, as eligibility is strictly tied to DP World Tour membership. The decision reflects the ongoing tension between the established tours and the breakaway league, particularly as LIV Golf attempts to restructure under new financial backing.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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