The answer to the question everyone had been asking since April finally arrived on Thursday. LIV Golf will not return for another season next year after BC Partners Credit withdrew its bid to replace Saudi Arabia’s PIF as the tour’s financial backer. However, the breakaway league’s collapse could mark the beginning of another battle.

With LIV Golf extinct following the proposed liquidation, it is easy to assume that the PGA Tour has emerged victorious and reclaimed its dominance. But there’s another player waiting in the wings. The DP World Tour could use this opportunity to transform itself from a secondary tour into a major force in golf, leaving the PGA Tour to regret some of its decisions.

The PGA Tour’s Blockade

With LIV Golf no longer expected to continue, its biggest stars will naturally be eager to find their way back to the American circuit. After all, that is where the biggest money and opportunities lie. However, the PGA Tour is not exactly rolling out the welcome mat. A return to the circuit will come with a mandatory one-year suspension and hefty fines, with players also facing reduced privileges once reinstated.

This could leave big names such as Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Sergio Garcia on the outside looking in when it comes to elite PGA Tour events, with the majors as their primary route to top-level competition. Patrick Reed offers an example, as he competes in the DP World Tour. The PGA Tour’s hardline stance will deprive it of those big names. 

The European Lifeboat

Of course, none of these players would want to spend an entire year sitting on the sidelines, earning nothing while serving their suspensions. Players like Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Johnson, and Sergio Garcia would also be keen to protect their positions in the world rankings rather than watch them slide during their time away from the PGA Tour. This makes the DP World Tour an increasingly attractive option, especially after it already welcomed Patrick Reed back into its fold.

What’s more, several former LIV Golf players are currently competing in the DP World Tour’s Q-School, suggesting that the European circuit could soon see an influx of former LIV stars. But the DP World Tour also played a strategic role in LIV’s downfall. LIV Golf players had the option of signing up for LIV 2.0, keeping the league alive while retaining the opportunity to compete on the European circuit. However, the DP World Tour threw a major roadblock in their path.

It announced that players who signed with LIV’s proposed new venture would not be eligible to compete on the DP World Tour next year. That decision could have swayed those still on the fence against committing to LIV 2.0. And now, with the PGA Tour making a return difficult, the DP World Tour has positioned itself as a welcoming alternative for LIV’s displaced stars. But there’s a bigger reason why the European circuit might be willing to open its doors.

A Commercial Windfall

If LIV’s biggest names eventually make the move to the DP World Tour, the European circuit could suddenly find itself with a much stronger concentration of talent. Its fields could feature promising young players like David Puig alongside established stars such as Rahm, DeChambeau, and others. More importantly, these players bring sizable fan bases, including in the United States. 

That increased star power could translate into greater visibility and commercial opportunities for the DP World Tour. More fans could turn up to watch its tournaments, television audiences could grow, and corporate sponsors might become more interested in associating themselves with the circuit. But there’s another factor that could make things even more interesting: rivalries. 

Several established DP World Tour players are already unhappy about the prospect of LIV defectors returning to the European circuit. Bringing these groups together could create compelling storylines and rivalries, adding another layer of intrigue to an already changing golf landscape.

The Ultimate Irony

Back in 2020, when LIV Golf was nowhere on the horizon, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour had already formed a strategic alliance. However, following LIV’s arrival, the two circuits strengthened their partnership, with the PGA Tour continuing to support the European circuit financially, including through contributions towards its tournament purses. It was a significant development, considering the two tours had once been viewed as major rivals.

But now, the PGA Tour’s decision to impose strict conditions on returning LIV Golf players could have an unintended consequence. By keeping these defectors away from its own events, the American circuit could end up strengthening the DP World Tour’s fields and, in turn, its commercial appeal. The irony is hard to miss. The PGA Tour’s attempt to punish its former players could inadvertently help the European circuit grow into an even stronger competitor.

All that remains is for the DP World Tour to recognize the opportunity in front of it and make the most of it. And it’s vital that it does, because in recent years, their TV ratings have dropped, and their top talent has gone to the PGA Tour. However, whether it has the resources and ambition to turn that opportunity into lasting success remains to be seen.