Eddie Pepperell has little objection to Sergio Garcia returning to the DP World Tour. But the Englishman has a very different view of how other LIV Golf defectors could return. While acknowledging Garcia’s eligibility through an existing exemption, Pepperell has questioned the Spaniard’s attitude and raised concerns about other former LIV players receiving invitations without earning their opportunities through the usual qualifying routes.
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Speaking on the Sliced Golf Podcast, the 35-year-old delivered a particularly sharp assessment of Garcia.
“If you want my frank opinion, and given that I’ve just come off an hour-long conversation with Lee [Westwood] only yesterday, and I don’t say this in a derogatory way, certainly towards Lee. I’m not sure these people have it within them; I don’t think they’re capable of apologizing, and I don’t think they feel like they have anything to apologize for. I think therein lies the message and the lessons, certainly as it relates to Sergio [Garcia], that there is an incredible amount of entitlement that surrounds that individual, and that might sound like a very harsh thing to say about somebody, but I think there is just now it’s there’s just in so much incontrovertible evidence that is his personality,” Pepperell said.
He accepts that Garcia has cleared his fines and can compete through the DP World Tour’s Category 11 exemption.
His comments about Garcia were especially pointed because he admitted that he had once considered the Spaniard his favorite golfer.
“He’s always been my favorite player, and it’s taken me a long time to accept that … this is the Sergio Garcia, the person,” Pepperell said.
Pepperell’s strongest criticism followed when he addressed Garcia directly.
He acknowledged that Garcia was still relatively young and could change his approach in the future. However, he was unimpressed with the statement released after Garcia announced his return to the DP World Tour.
Pepperell suggested that the statement lacked authenticity and speculated that someone around Garcia might have prepared it on his behalf.
Garcia announced on October 29 that he would return to the DP World Tour in 2027 after leaving LIV Golf. His statement read:
“Next season I’ll be playing on the DP World Tour. This tour has been a huge part of my career from the very beginning, and I’m proud to call it home again. I’m also keeping my options open for a return to the PGA Tour.”
The announcement was significant for the 46-year-old, who joined LIV Golf in June 2022 and went on to win two individual titles during his time with the breakaway circuit. His return also opens a potential route toward competing for Europe again in the Ryder Cup.
Garcia’s decision to play on the European-based circuit again did not greatly trouble Pepperell.
His concern is that other returning LIV golfers could receive opportunities without earning them through a comparable qualification process.
Pepperell specifically mentioned Charles Howell III when explaining where he draws the line.
“The issue I have with some of the returning players are the Charles Hows and the names that have been mentioned who are going to be entirely reliant on invites,” he said.
Pepperell also believes that most members of the Tour would share his position.
The two-time DP World Tour winner’s October 24 Substack essay, titled “Charles & Eddie,” provides a clearer explanation of his concerns. Pepperell acknowledged that the DP World Tour had yet to confirm its arrangements for returning LIV players.
Nevertheless, he questioned the commercial justification for inviting certain names back.
“The idea that Charles Howell III is on this list, with all due respect to Charles, he’s a terrific guy, is utterly bizarre,” the Englishman wrote.
He also questioned the value that players such as Thomas Pieters, Branden Grace, and Louis Oosthuizen would bring to the Tour’s commercial interests.
He argued that these players would not attract enough spectators or television viewers.
Interestingly, Pepperell does not believe every former LIV player should have to start from scratch.
In his essay, Pepperell acknowledged that the Tour could make exceptions for players who would bring considerable star power. He specifically mentioned Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, and Bryson DeChambeau as potential invitees. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, meanwhile, already have exemptions.
“Just ensure everybody else goes back to the qualifying school,” he wrote. “That’s what Q School is about, earning your right to have a shot at playing on Tour.”
Pepperell described the prospect of established members losing opportunities to returning LIV players as something that would feel like an “absolute betrayal.”
Pepperell’s loss of full playing privileges adds weight to his argument. He finished 101st in the 2026 Race to Dubai standings. He missed out on a full playing card for the 2027 season by a single position. The Tour had reduced the full-card retention threshold to the top 100 in 2026.
Players finishing between 101st and 110th are eligible for Category 18 status. It provides conditional playing privileges. However, they initially rank below graduates of the DP World Tour Qualifying School. They are then subject to re-ranking during the season.
The DP World Tour must now show whether it can accommodate returning LIV players without disadvantaging its existing members.