The golf world is not waiting for next year to sort out the mess. Victor Perez admitted on Tuesday that the DP World Tour’s stance on LIV Golf has “ruffled some feathers” and forced players to make early decisions about their futures. The Frenchman, who joined Cleeks GC in 2026, says the potential ban for LIV players in 2027 has changed the game. Players can no longer sit on the fence. They must choose a side now or lose their spot on the European circuit. Perez told Today’s Golfer that the situation has made a lot of guys make early decisions, according to GolfMagic.
Rahm Sees the Cracks In the Plan
Jon Rahm has already walked away from the table. The Spaniard returned to the DP World Tour for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship on Tuesday, but he left LIV 2.0 behind. He told reporters at a press conference that he “wasn’t thrilled with the changes they were doing to 2.0 and I just wasn’t willing to follow that path.” The new model lacks the team golf element he liked in the original version. Rahm said the changes “weren’t anything special” and felt like a regular tournament. He noted there were too many unknowns when he looked at the future proposals. His team, Legion XIII, keeps its trademarks, but the player himself is done with the current direction. The $5 billion Saudi Public Investment Fund has pulled out, and the league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Rahm gave up claims against the estate, which were reported to be up to $150 million, just to get out. He is now weighing a return to the PGA Tour or staying on the DP World Tour for a year if a suspension hits.
The Tour Draws a Hard Line On Merit
The DP World Tour is not bending to pressure from the breakaway league. Journalist Iain Carter reported on Tuesday that the tour plans to invite former LIV players only to less prestigious events, not the Rolex Series. Eddie Pepperell pushed back hard on this idea, asking why YouTubers should not get invites if they add more value. Brad Dalke responded to the criticism by saying the reason they do not invite everyone is because “we recognise the DP World Tour should still represent high level merit.” This is the core conflict. The tour wants to protect its competitive integrity while LIV tries to rebuild with new money from BC Partners Capital. Perez admitted that losing top players like Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton is a “massive blow” to LIV’s competitive strength. The tour figures say players with exemptions will play anyway, but the rest get limited invites.
