Since the Saudi financiers abandoned the LIV Tour, a long line of players - including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Sergio García - have dropped out of the project.
At the same time, the European Tour, now the DP World Tour, has found itself in a tricky position.
On the one hand, the tour, which is struggling financially, is in dire need of star power. And now many LIV defectors want to return, because the European Tour can offer the most tempting route into golf’s “ecosystem” when the direct door to the PGA Tour is closed.
Sitting on the players’ council
On the other hand, the players who now want to return are largely the same group who turned their backs on the tour just a few years ago, dazzled by LIV’s money.
Marcus Kinhult, the Swedish representative on the European Tour’s players’ council, believes feelings on the tour are mixed.
Some are perhaps irritated that they themselves were loyal and turned down quite attractive offers, only to see in retrospect that you can come back more or less as you please. Others are irritated that they might take places next year, which would push out other players who have qualified and who have come a long way, he tells TT.
"Feels a bit like that in the gut"
The 30-year-old from Bohuslän has had the European Tour as his home since 2018. For his part, Kinhult sees the biggest advantage in the fact that the tour looks set to become stronger than it has been in a long time.
Some have spoken a bit clumsily over the years, and I think that stays with you a bit. But purely selfishly, I want to play against the best and strongest fields. Whatever people have said or what their values are, that’s what it is, he says.
Stars like Rahm, Hatton and García - all in the top 10 for career earnings on the European Tour - can return thanks to having some form of “playing status” on the tour.
“A little tumult”
The dilemma for the European Tour is rather about what terms should apply to former LIV players who do not have any form of “playing status”. Some, for example, may be allowed to play as invitees in selected competitions.
I don’t know how much I can say, but that is perhaps a likely path. There is a little tumult now about how this will happen, but I think we have an okay solution for it, says Kinhult.
This week, the two-week playoff on this year’s European Tour begins in the Middle East. Then there is only one week off before the 2027 season kicks off in the last week of November.
Decisions about this should have been made yesterday, so things are burning. I think we can expect a lot to happen in the next few weeks, says Kinhult.
What do you think?