Five weeks ago, the DP World Tour told LIV Golf 2.0 hopefuls they could not have it both ways. It said it would no longer grant the releases that allowed players to split time between the two circuits. That argument has since settled itself. LIV has dissolved, and many of its stars are now looking for a tour to call home. For the DP World Tour, that means more talent at its door than it ever expected. Rather than shutting the door again, it is offering a lifeline, seeing a chance to make its own events bigger and stronger with these names. The tour’s chief executive has now explained that plan and revealed when the first answers will come.
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DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings has confirmed that membership applications from former LIV players are under review, with a verdict due this week. The deadline for 2027 membership passed on Sunday, following the Race to Dubai finale.
Kinnings told Sky Sports, “We’re going to assess [membership applications], and then we’ll make an announcement on Tuesday about that.”
That puts the announcement on Tuesday, November 17. Kinnings was not apologetic about the idea. He described the returning stars as a “huge opportunity” and said they would add to a tour already stocked with talent.
Furthermore, Kinnings also pointed to the 100 players who retained their cards, 15 graduates from the HotelPlanner Tour, and 20 from Q-School. With players also coming through the tour’s global partnerships, he expects noticeably stronger fields.
His main argument is about timing. Many dual members spend much of the year in the United States. Former LIV players could help fill that gap, which should please promoters, sponsors, and broadcasters. Kinnings made that clear in his interview.
The welcome comes with conditions, though. In early November, Kinnings told The Scotsman that LIV had spent over $7 billion with the aim of “destroying” the DP World Tour. He added that returning players “have got to prove themselves in the system.” He also suggested that invitations for returning players would focus on smaller events from February to August, when many of the top names are playing on the PGA Tour.
Some names are already settled. Sky Sports reports that Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are expected to play full-time in 2027. Hatton has just won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Both are ineligible to play on the PGA Tour for 12 months from their last LIV start, making Europe their base. Rahm has already agreed to forfeit claims against LIV, reportedly worth around $100 million, to get out of his contract.
Others are being accommodated through invitations. Sky cites Golf Channel’s reporting that Joaquin Niemann could play around 15 events through wild-card invitations, with more opportunities if he wins.
And Thomas Pieters, Carlos Ortiz, and Michael La Sasso have received invitations to the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the 2027 season opener, scheduled for November 26-29. La Sasso, meanwhile, failed to get through the second stage of Q-School in his bid to earn a card.
Through it all, Bryson DeChambeau remains the biggest open question. The Telegraph reported that the tour told his team he would receive full playing privileges if he applied, based on his 2024 U.S. Open win. However, he has yet to confirm whether he will accept.
For now, Kinnings is assertive; discussions with the PGA Tour over the pathway are progressing positively, with an announcement hoped for by the New Year. The lifeline, then, offers both a place to play and a possible route back to America.