DP World Tour Bars LIV 2.0 Signees Starting in 2027

By Staff Writer

November 4, 2026

3 min read

LoopGolf

Key takeaways

Starting in 2027, any player who signs with LIV Golf 2.0 will be barred from the DP World Tour, with no exemptions.
In 2026, the tour had granted exemptions letting LIV players Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin compete.
CEO Guy Kinnings says the tour has more than $1 billion in contracted sponsorship.
The DP World Tour and PGA Tour are negotiating an extension of their Strategic Alliance.
A 2028 schedule overhaul is planned to fill the calendar gap left by a shortened PGA Tour season.

DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings says the tour is ending its 2026 exemption arrangement for LIV Golf players and will require members to choose one tour over the other starting in 2027, a policy he says is necessary to protect the tour from a rival.

What changes for LIV players in 2027?

This year, the DP World Tour struck exemption deals that let LIV golfers Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin compete alongside their LIV commitments. That arrangement will not carry into next season. Under the tour's 2027 membership and invite policy, any player who signs for LIV Golf 2.0 will not be eligible to play DP World Tour events.

Kinnings told The Scotsman's Martin Dempster the decision was driven by what he had been told about LIV's ambitions toward the tour he runs.

"We've got to protect that special culture that we have on the Tour," Kinnings said, adding that LIV had spent more than $7 billion with one stated aim being to "destroy the DP World Tour."

A one-off exemption was a bridge for 2026; a flat ban is a statement that there won't be another one.

How does the DP World Tour say it is positioned financially?

Kinnings pointed to more than $1 billion currently contracted across the tour in sponsorship as evidence of its financial health, arguing that LIV's arrival had pushed prize funds to an "artificially high level" on what he called an unsustainable economic model.

Season	LIV player policy	Players affected
2026	Case-by-case exemptions granted	Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin
2027	No exemptions; LIV signees barred	Any new LIV 2.0 signee

What is happening with the PGA Tour Strategic Alliance?

Kinnings said the DP World Tour is working with the PGA Tour on extending their existing Strategic Alliance, noting PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp has expressed the same goal. Details of the extended terms were not disclosed.

What is planned for the 2028 schedule?

The DP World Tour is also reworking its 2028 calendar around a planned shift in the PGA Tour's own season, which is expected to run from February through August alongside the arrival of a new Championship and Challenger Series structure. Kinnings said that would leave September through January open for the DP World Tour to lean on Rolex Series events, national opens and potential outside capital investment. The tour's 2027 season begins within the next few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Can LIV Golf players still play the DP World Tour in 2027?

No. Any player who signs with LIV Golf 2.0 will be barred from DP World Tour events starting in 2027, with no exemptions.

Which players were exempted to play both tours in 2026?

Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin all competed on the DP World Tour in 2026 under case-by-case exemptions despite their LIV Golf ties.

What is the PGA Tour-DP World Tour Strategic Alliance?

It is an existing partnership between the two tours that both sides are now negotiating to extend, according to CEO Guy Kinnings.

Why is the DP World Tour changing its 2028 schedule?

The PGA Tour is expected to shorten its season to February through August in 2028, and the DP World Tour wants to use the resulting gap to expand its own events from September through January.