European pro Thomas Detry has thrown a pointed challenge at the DP World Tour, questioning whether its hard line on LIV Golf players really adds up. The Belgian golfer has switched boats, deciding to play in the Saudi-backed league instead. While he faces a complete ban on the PGA Tour, the path to play on the DP World Tour is still open, but it comes with hefty fines. Though he is okay with the fines, he called out their inconsistencies.

“There’s obviously been suspensions, and people have had to pay their fines, but with the way golf is sort of shaping up now, I think the European Tour can very much benefit from me going back and playing some of their tournaments. I don’t really see why they should fine me, to be honest. But I’m not complaining,” Thomas Detry said in an interview with Today’s Golfer.

“It’s just their rule, and it’s just the way that they’ve put their system in place. But there are some inconsistencies, which I think they are aware of, and I’m pretty sure that there will be some changes very soon.”

The 33-year-old Belgian is replacing Harold Varner III in Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC for the 2026 LIV Golf season. Although he is joining the Saudi-backed league, the 2025 WM Phoenix Open winner wants to compete on the DP World Tour as frequently as possible. It won’t be straightforward, though. Both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour announced punishments for professionals who join LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour announced a one-year ban effective from the last game they played in the league. The DP World Tour, however, took a different approach. It announced a £100,000 fine for every conflicting event the golfer plays. These fines have accumulated to millions for some golfers. Jon Rahm, for example, faces fines of around $3 million, which he is currently appealing. In fact, this appeal is what has caused the inconsistencies that Thomas Detry is speaking of.

Both Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton appealed their DP World fines. This allowed them to continue playing on the circuit and rack up wins, too. Tyrell Hatton won the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the 2025 Dubai Desert Classic while his case was unresolved. Besides playing on the DP World Tour, the two also remained eligible to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Other LIV golfers had to either pay their fines or forfeit their DP World Tour playing rights. Henrik Stenson, who lost the 2023 Ryder Cup captaincy due to his involvement with the Saudi-backed league, has also raised similar concerns about inconsistency.

“I think you just need to treat everyone the same. Either you can be a member of the European Tour and the European Ryder Cup team [or you cannot]. Are you fining certain players in certain situations and not in others and so on? Consistency is all that everyone is after,” Stenson said in the Beyond The Clubhouse Podcast.

Amid all these inconsistencies, Thomas Detry also feels the DP World Tour could benefit from him playing some events there. The Belgian star is exactly the kind of profile the tour wants. He is a European golfer who has won on the PGA Tour and recorded a top-5 finish at the 2024 PGA Championship. Besides that, he is a long-time DP World Tour member who can help boost field strength, thereby offering more OWGR points to fellow golfers.

While Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton could continue to play on the DP World Tour amid the ongoing dispute, many have had to let go of their memberships due to rising fines.

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LIV golfers resigned from DP World Tour membership

LIV was paying the fines of the DP World Tour members until 2025. Many, including Adrian Meronk and Tom McKibbin, have played several events when the Saudi-backed league was paying the fines. However, LIV is no longer paying those fines. Since that announcement, Patrick Reed has paid his fines to continue his membership. But a few decided to simply let go of their DP World Tour membership amid increasing fines.

Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Richard Bland, and others have gave up their membership. Henrik Stenson had also decided not to pay fines until he was relegated in 2025. Notably, Stenson finished 49th in the rankings and faced relegation. Since he won’t be part of LIV Golf 2026, he is eyeing a comeback on the DP World Tour. He reportedly settled fines worth £1m with the organization to play again.

Thomas Detry’s comments add fresh momentum to a debate that has quietly split European golf between those willing to pay their way back and those choosing to walk away. As policies remain under pressure and legal challenges continue, the DP World Tour faces growing calls to clarify how it treats LIV players and what path, if any, leads back to a level playing field.