DP World Tour Bars LIV Golf Players From 2027 Membership

The DP World Tour will refuse membership for the 2027 season to golfers who intend to join LIV Golf, the European circuit announced on October 12, 2026. The policy ends the previous approach of granting certain players conditional permission to compete on both tours and could affect their eligibility for Europe's Ryder Cup team.

According to reports from BBC Sport, Sky Sports and RTÉ, players must disclose which circuit they intend to play on when applying for next season's membership. The DP World Tour will consider those declarations when determining eligibility, and concealing plans to join LIV Golf could provide grounds for terminating membership.

DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said the organization expects all members to follow its regulations.

"Players need to make a choice," said Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour.

The policy marks a departure from previous seasons, when selected LIV Golf competitors received conditional releases that allowed them to remain eligible for the European circuit. Approximately 15 LIV players currently hold DP World Tour status through existing membership categories, according to BBC Sport.

Kinnings emphasized that membership carries obligations that apply equally to competitors across the tour.

"We have rules and regulations which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by," said Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour.

The organization also made clear that players unwilling to accept those requirements should not seek membership.

"Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour," said Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour.

The membership decision has significant implications for Europe's Ryder Cup selection process because players must belong to the DP World Tour to qualify for the team. Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez and Tom McKibbin are among the LIV golfers who currently have eligibility through the European circuit's membership categories.

Other LIV competitors, including Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters, do not hold the same status. BBC Sport reported that they would otherwise need to qualify through the tour's qualifying school or secure agreements permitting participation in a limited number of events. Under the revised approach, those agreements would not be available to players intending to join LIV Golf in the future.

The decision comes as LIV Golf attempts to secure its future following the withdrawal of financial support from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September as it pursued a restructuring in the United States.

Last week, LIV Golf announced a potential $300 million financing commitment from BC Partners Credit to support its proposed 2027 relaunch, commonly referred to as LIV 2.0. Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, told BBC Sport that he was confident the league could attract a critical mass of players.

However, the league's plans face uncertainty as players assess their contractual positions. Rahm has indicated that he will not continue with LIV Golf under the proposed new terms, according to the reports. Lawyers representing other major champions, including Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, have also sought clarification from the court about whether rejecting revised contracts would constitute termination, potentially allowing negotiations with other tours.

The DP World Tour's decision also comes while its strategic alliance with the PGA Tour is under negotiation. BBC Sport reported that LIV Golf's offer of equity to players under its proposed future structure is understood to be a major factor behind the European circuit's tougher membership stance.

The deadlines for the two organizations are approaching. LIV Golf must sign players by October 25 under its court-supervised restructuring process, while the DP World Tour has set November 16 as the deadline for players seeking membership for the following season.

Richard Bland is currently the only player to have publicly stated a desire to compete in the proposed LIV 2.0, while Perez expressed hope last month that the league would continue, according to BBC Sport.