LIV golfers are jumping ship left, right, and center, and flocking to the DP World Tour.
The floodgates have opened: Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton, Lucas Herbert, and Tom McKibbin all announced their departure from the rebel golf league on the same day, returning to their roots next season.
They’ll join Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, and Joaquin Niemann in what is set to be an immensely strong DP World Tour in 2027. This is exciting news for the tour, which will have many more eyes on it next season, but it’s not that popular among players.
A few DP World Tour players have complained that LIV golfers are returning to the tour unpunished and taking spots from those who stayed loyal. Two DP World Tour winners have named players they don’t want to see return next season, and Lee Westwood responded.
DP World Tour winners say who they don’t want back on the tour
As LIV players seek a return to the DP World Tour next season, tour members are voicing concerns about which golfers will be allowed back.
Three-time DP World Tour winner Ewen Ferguson said he doesn’t want to see those who criticised the tour while on LIV return now that they are out of options.
He posted to X, “I have to say, some of the LIV players coming back to play DP is actually cool as some really good players, but hilarious how some of them slammed the tour for so long, not one good thing to say about it, now it’s the best thing since sliced bread and feels like coming home 🤔.”
Another DP World Tour winner, Richard Mansell, agreed, replying to Ferguson’s post: “Spot on my mate. I haven’t been around the tour a lot this year and when I have since coming back from injury my golf hasn’t been where I want it so I don’t want to say too much. However, things are going to look different in 2027. Some should be allowed back and some shouldn’t…”
A number of LIV players have been openly critical of the DP World Tour for various reasons. Rahm spent much of 2026 battling the DP World Tour for his membership and publicly accused the tour of “extorting” players.
Meanwhile, Poulter and Westwood were furious about the tour’s sanctions for players who joined LIV Golf.
Ferguson and Mansell were likely talking about Westwood and Poulter in their X posts, but Westwood still shared his take on the matter.
Lee Westwood responds to DP World Tour player’s complaints
Westwood, who often shares his thoughts on LIV Golf and the DP World Tour on X, responded to Ferguson’s post.
The 25-time winner on the DP World Tour said, “It’s an interesting position the @DPWorldTour finds itself in. Caught between needing ‘names’ at those times of year when they don’t get strong fields (Jan-June).
“Giving invites to people who have shown no interest in the tour other than now when they’ve nowhere else to play. And keeping the members happy that support the tour at the smaller events and the lads that have gone through all the qualifying stages.
“Anyone with an exemption should be free to come back because as we know the DPWT endorses members going to another rival tour and already have 10 cards for it but if people don’t have an exemption they should have to go through the school like everyone else.
“And anyone that thinks the PGA tour aren’t rivals and are partners are either blind or fools. Yes they provide funding now but to what end and at what cost to the DPWT? The end of 2027 will be interesting as to what assets they ask for.”
It’s a confusing post that doesn’t address Ferguson’s point. Westwood is among those who have criticised the tour in recent years, and he didn’t explain why he thinks he and Poulter should be allowed back if they wish.
Westwood is right that the DP World Tour faces a conundrum, and it will be interesting to see how they navigate this over the coming months.