Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour chief executive, has told players who want to join LIV Golf next season that they will lose DP World Tour membership in 2027. The decision also shuts the door on playing for Europe in the Ryder Cup, for which DP World Tour membership is required.
“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,” Kinnings said.
The announcement ends the conditional releases that had allowed LIV players to retain a foothold on both circuits. About 15 LIV players, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez and Tom McKibbin, currently have “status” with the DP World Tour.
Rahm and Hatton were among those who had conditional releases to play on LIV and the DP World Tour in 2026. Hatton has made four Ryder Cup appearances for Team Europe.
Perez and McKibbin are also among the LIV players with DP World Tour status. Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters do not hold that status.
The new policy comes as LIV attempts to restructure after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September. It has secured a possible $300m in financing from BC Partners Credit.
The PGA Tour has suspended LIV players since LIV launched in 2022. The DP World Tour had been the only major tour granting LIV competitors access through conditional releases.
Earlier in 2026, Rahm and Hatton reached a settlement that involved paying outstanding fines for defecting to LIV. Sergio Garcia was granted an exit from his LIV contract.
The DP World Tour says it will refuse membership to anyone planning to play on LIV 2.0. Players will have to disclose the tours they intend to play on in 2027, and that answer will be considered when their membership applications are assessed.
A player who withholds an intention to play LIV and later joins could have their DP World Tour membership terminated.
Rahm has offered a signal of his own direction. His attorneys told a New Jersey bankruptcy court that he does not want to be part of LIV’s future.
The choice is imminent. LIV Golf’s membership deadline is Oct. 25, while the deadline to apply for DP World Tour membership is Nov. 16, both within the next five weeks.
BC Partners chief executive Ted Goldthorpe said the investor remained committed to LIV’s plans. “We're super committed. As [LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil] said, we're going to start hiring back employees and planning for next year's events.”
Comments (0)