The PGA Tour is not going to make it easy. Anyone who decides to play the LIV Golf Promotions taking place in January in Florida risks the possibility of being sanctioned. In a report published by journalist Bob Harig in Sports Illustrated citing sources from the American circuit, it is explained that there is no intention to ‘release’ PGA Tour members who request permission and that those who are not members are also subject to the possibility of being punished.
Las LIV Golf Promotions añaden una segunda plaza para acceder a LIV Golf
Last year and the year before, there were also LIV Golf Promotions and there was no threat to those who wanted to play. So what’s the difference this year? Very simple: in 2023 it was held in Saudi Arabia, in 2024 it was in Abu Dhabi, and the current one, scheduled for January 2026, will take place on American soil. That’s the key.
To play a golf tournament in the United States from another circuit as a member of the PGA Tour, you need to request permission and be released. According to this information, the American circuit has no intention of facilitating the permissions. If played without authorization, the player risks a sanction. This is what happened in 2022 when several PGA Tour members decided to play the LIV Golf tournament in Portland when the Saudi league was starting its journey. At the moment of hitting the first ball in official competition, they were suspended. This affects players from the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour Champions. Previously, it was played in the United Kingdom, and the PGA Tour did not get involved in the matter.
The problem is that this real threat from the PGA Tour does not only loom over the members. Those who do not belong to the PGA Tour and play the Saudi School also risk being punished with a one-year suspension from participating in any tournament sanctioned by the American circuit. This includes the PGA Tour schools, the qualifiers, and possible invitations. In that situation, for example, were Laurie Canter or Eugenio López Chacarra. They had never been PGA Tour members and yet received a one-year sanction. Chacarra did play the Scottish Open, a co-sanctioned tournament, but the explanation is that 75 spots in that tournament belong to the DP World Tour and are managed as deemed appropriate.
Si te estás preguntando por qué Chacarra juega esta semana en Escocia…
Given the circumstances, players intending to play the LIV Golf Promotions have to tread very carefully. Many are already talking to their respective teams to understand firsthand the legal implications of this situation. In Spanish golf, for example, none of those currently exempt to play the Saudi School have decided to participate as of today. We’ll see what happens in the future. In principle, from the DP World Tour, there will be no punishment for playing this School, as it does not coincide with any tournament on their calendar.
Hay ocho españoles que podrían jugar las LIV Golf Promotions
We will see if this stance of the PGA Tour remains intransigent and how it affects the decision of the players, especially those on the Korn Ferry Tour who do see LIV Golf as a possible and valuable alternative. Remember that the LIV Golf School is played over four days (like the full circuit since yesterday’s announcement), with two eliminations after the first and second rounds, and only grants two spots in the Saudi league. We’ll have to see to what extent the risk is worth it. Additionally, it offers spots to the top ten in the International Series.
In any case, taking it a step further, this current stance of the PGA Tour does nothing but clearly highlight the distance that currently exists between the American circuit and LIV Golf.
