Thomas Pieters and Charles Howell III are the latest golfers to part ways with LIV Golf ahead of its planned 2027 relaunch. Both players have opted against a place in the league’s new setup after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. Their exits add to the list of players who have chosen not to join LIV 2.0 as the league faces an uncertain future.
The DP World Tour has also made its position clear, as players who commit to LIV Golf for 2027 will not be allowed to compete on the European circuit.
Pieters joined LIV Golf in 2023 and earned about $25 million in prize money during his time on the circuit. The Belgian, who earned four points on his Ryder Cup debut in 2016, is set to return to the DP World Tour. Howell, a three-time PGA Tour winner, will also leave LIV after his spell with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC. His exit leaves DeChambeau, Paul Casey and Anirban Lahiri as the team’s remaining members, while DeChambeau’s own plans for 2027 remain unclear.
DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings Says LIV Golf Players Must Choose One Tour
DP World Tour would not allow players who commit to LIV Golf 2.0 to compete on the European circuit in 2027. (Source: AP)
The DP World Tour has tightened its rules for LIV Golf players ahead of the 2027 season. CEO Guy Kinnings confirmed that golfers who commit to LIV Golf 2.0 will no longer be allowed to compete on the European circuit. The tour had previously reached agreements with LIV players that allowed them to play in selected events after they paid fines for their participation in the breakaway league. However, those arrangements applied only to the 2026 season.
“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 told BBC Sport on October 11.
Jon Rahm opted against joining LIV Golf 2.0, as the DP World Tour’s new rules forced players to choose between the two circuits. (Source: AP)
The decision could affect several prominent golfers, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin, who have held DP World Tour status while also playing on LIV Golf. Rahm and Hatton reached settlements with the European circuit earlier in 2026 to retain their membership and Ryder Cup eligibility.
Under the new policy, those arrangements will no longer allow players to compete on both tours in 2027. Golfers without DP World Tour status, such as Joaquin Niemann, will have to explore other routes if they wish to join the European circuit. These include DP World Tour Qualifying School or sponsor invitations, but neither option will be available to players who commit to LIV Golf 2.0.
LIV Golf 2.0 Deadline Puts Players’ 2027 Plans in Focus
LIV Golf’s proposed 2027 structure faced more setbacks as several players opted out. (Source: AP)
Two key dates will shape players’ decisions about their future. LIV Golf’s deadline for players to commit to its proposed 2027 structure is October 25, while the DP World Tour’s membership application deadline is November 16. The European circuit will ask players to disclose which tours they intend to play in 2027 before it decides on their membership. Any player who signs an agreement with the DP World Tour and then attempts to play on LIV could face termination of their membership or contract.
The decision also comes as the DP World Tour renegotiates its alliance with the PGA Tour. While the European circuit has clarified its position on LIV Golf 2.0, the PGA Tour has yet to outline its approach to players who leave the breakaway league. CEO Brian Rolapp has not confirmed when or how former LIV players could return to the American circuit.
LIV Golf’s proposed new format faced more questions as players weighed their options between the breakaway league and the DP World Tour. (Source: AP)
With LIV also set for a proposed relaunch after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, players face uncertainty over their options for the 2027 season. The DP World Tour’s new stance makes one point clear: golfers who choose LIV Golf 2.0 will no longer have the same access to the European circuit as they did in previous seasons.
Read Next
Follow The Women’s Golf Journal:
Got a tip? Send it to Women’s Golf Journal here.
Add Women’s Golf Journal on Google
Ananya Giri is a writer at Women’s Golf Journal.