Tom McKibbin’s move to LIV Golf surprised many. Primary reason? He had already received his PGA Tour membership before he made a controversial decision. The Irishman refused his mentor’s advice, Rory McIlroy. Apparently, Jordan Smith didn’t like the move either, and for the right reasons. The discussion came to light when he joined the Sliced Podcast.

The host asked Smith how he felt at the beginning of the season when he was denied a PGA Tour card because McKibbin left for LIV Golf a little too late. So, Smith needed a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at T16 in the 2024 DP World Tour Championship. But he could only manage par, finishing 19th, dropping him 2 places on the Race to Dubai rankings. That was enough to push him out of contention for the PGA Tour membership for 2025. Smith still had a chance, but McKibbin didn’t decide soon enough whether he wanted to stay on the PGA Tour or go to LIV Golf.

“It was annoying. We were so close to getting those cards. It came down to one shot on the 18th on Sunday in Dubai,” Smith told the hosts honestly. “It would have been nice if it were a little bit earlier. So, he was giving up his player rights. I could have taken it.”

Tom McKibbin decided to join LIV Golf a month into the 2025 PGA Tour season. Till then, he hadn’t played any events as well. His move was imminent, but because he still held his card, Smith couldn’t take his place in the roster. Smith expressed frustration with McKibbin as the latter didn’t decide earlier. However, he also clarified that he didn’t have any “anger or hate towards him.” However, the doors didn’t close for Smith, as he shared that now might have been the best time for him to be #TOURBOUND.

“This year, it’s definitely the right time,” Smith said as he earned his way into the PGA Tour without an issue for 2026, finishing 16th in R2D rankings, and 10th on the list of players who qualified for the Tour membership.

The hosts clarified whether there was any bad blood between him and McKibbin when they met for the Team Cup this year. Smith confirmed that everything was fine between them, and the Irish pro also congratulated him for getting his PGA Tour membership when they met for the 2025 DP World Tour Championship a few days ago.

With that said, who else joined Jordan Smith in the list of ten European Tour players to receive a PGA Tour membership?

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DP World Tour pros who will join the PGA Tour in 2026 ft. Jordan Smith

After enduring another year without a membership, Jordan Smith has finally received his PGA Tour card. But he barely made the list as he faced some tough competition from a few big DP World Tour stars.

One of them was probably one of the best players of the season, Marco Penge. The Englishman dominated Europe this year with multiple wins throughout 2025. He also clarified rejecting LIV Golf and sticking to the PGA Tour membership that he was due to receive. In fact, Penge had already started to look for houses in the U.S.

Another surprising name on the list is Laurie Canter. For anyone who doesn’t remember, Canter used to play in the LIV Golf. However, he left the Saudi-based league a year ago. He has since been trying to find his way back into the PGA Tour. And after an excellent season in Europe, he became the first player to leave LIV Golf and earn a PGA Tour card. However, the latest reports suggest that he might forgo his membership and re-sign with LIV Golf once again.

Another interesting name on the list includes Haotong Li. The 30-year-old Chinese pro caused Scottie Scheffler a lot of stress in The Open 2025 at Royal Portrush. He was also quite brilliant throughout the DP World Tour season. With a full-time membership on the PGA Tour, fans will finally be able to see him play at the highest level with the biggest stars regularly.