DP World Tour CEO claims LIV Golf intended to 'destroy' European circuit

Kylee HansenTue, November 3, 2026 at 9:08 PM UTC

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Guy Kinnings said LIV Golf was set out to destroy the DP World Tour -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)

The CEO of the DP World Tour believes LIV Golf was looking to "destroy" the European circuit when it burst onto the scene in 2022.

Although Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, initially granted conditional status allowing LIV Golf players to compete in select tournaments, he has now declared that no LIV golfers will be permitted to participate in European Tour events in 2027 amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf's future.

Many former LIV Golf stars are eyeing a return or a fresh start on the DP World Tour, including Lucas Herbert, Sergio Garcia, Tom McKibbin and Graeme McDowell.

“I listen to what players say and I understand the sensitivity. It's got to be as fair as it can be and as merit based as it can be, but there is probably no perfect solution,” Kinnings told the Scotsman.

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DP World Tour star Joost Luiten believes that all players who joined LIV Golf should ‘deal with the consequences… they didn’t give a s— about the DP World Tour.’

“Regardless of who the players are, they've got to prove themselves in the system,” continued Kinnings.

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“I understand what some players are saying, because things have been said in the past,” he added, most likely referring to Garcia speaking poorly on both the PGA and DP World Tours in 2022.

Jon Rahm also left LIV Golf just weeks ago and announced a return to the DP World Tour -Credit:Getty Images

“But if players are ready to say, ‘I'm now ready to be supportive, do good things for the Tour and try and help, then we have to look at that.

“We've got to protect that special culture that we have on the Tour. And you see it across the whole Tour. That's why I'm so proud of what we have - it's like nowhere else in the world.

“But we also have to protect the Tour against an entity who spent, so we are told, over $7 billion, with one of their aims being to ‘destroy the DP World Tour.’ I have heard that from so many different people they talked to, who I have known for over 30 years within the game and who I trust implicitly.”

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LIV Golf burst onto the scene in 2022 under CEO Greg Norman, but the PIF announced in late April that they would cut funding following the 2027 season.

Jon Rahm spoke Tuesday, noting that he would love to rejoin the PGA Tour but would also compete on the DP World Tour if needed.

“Clearly when you are faced with statements like that, and then people then ask why we are doing what we are doing with our membership and invite policy for 2027, then I think the answer becomes pretty obvious,” said Kinnings.

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Source: “AOL Money”