The DP World Tour’s decision to ban LIV Golf pros from its tournaments in 2027 was a win for those who wish to see LIV end. And the European circuit stands to benefit from an influx of LIV stars as a result of that decision.
But not everyone on the DP World/PGA Tour side of golf’s civil war is happy with the outcome.
Joost Luiten is one of those people. In a new interview with Today’s Golfer, the 40-year-old, six-time DP World Tour winner unloaded on LIV Golf pros hoping to return to the DP World Tour, and on the DP World Tour itself.
Joost Luiten on DP World Tour’s LIV decision: ‘Why give them invites?’
As LIV Golf continues its bankruptcy proceedings, many of its players are eyeing a DP World Tour return in 2027. With its recent decision, the DP World Tour has made it simple for them to do so (provided they’ve paid outstanding fines). All they need to do is not sign up with LIV 2.0.
The path back to the PGA Tour for former LIV pros is much more difficult: serve a one-year ban and then qualify like anyone else.
In his comments to Ben Parsons of Today’s Golfer, Luiten made it clear that he thinks the DP World Tour is making it way too easy for LIV pros to return to European golf. In a strongly worded missive, Luiten argued that players who left for LIV proved they “didn’t give a s—” about the DP World Tour and, therefore, shouldn’t be invited back with open arms.
“[The DP World Tour] should make it harder for guys to come back. Four years ago they didn’t give a s— about the DP World Tour. They made a decision to go after the money. And now all of a sudden, the money is gone and they want to come back and act like nothing happened,” Luiten told Today’s Golfer. “I don’t think that’s right.”
Luiten’s biggest issue with LIV players returning is that they will take spots from other DP World Tour players who stayed loyal to the tour all along.
“Why give them invites? If I apply for an invite if I’m not in a tournament, I’m not going to get it because it’s all going to the LIV guys. There’s only a certain amount of invites,” Luiten argued. “Invites should be for young talent coming through and not guys that took the piss against this tour and now they want to come back and they get invites. I’m not a big fan of that.”
The way Luiten sees it, former LIV pros hoping to play the DP World Tour should have to earn their way back into tournaments the hard way.
“There should be a rule that if you gave up your membership you lose all your exemption rights as well. Then you have to stay a member if you want to ever come back to this tour,” Luiten explained. “A lot of the guys gave up their membership and now they come back like nothing happened and then they become a member again and they get all the rights that they had before they left.”
He then suggested the first stop for LIV players should be DP World Tour Q School.
“If they think that they are that good then show it at Q School and beat the guys. That’s how every other guy that wants to play on this tour has to go,” Luiten said.
His opinion stands in stark contrast to that of seven-time Race to Dubai winner Rory McIlroy. At this week’s DP World India Championship, McIlroy threw his full support behind the DP World Tour’s LIV ban.
“As I said, the DP World Tour are well within their rights to change the rules and regulations,” McIlroy said on Wednesday. “This is the way to protect their business and to make the tour as strong as possible.”
But Rory went even further than that the day before in an interview at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, where he argued former LIV pros should not just be invited back to the DP World Tour, but to the PGA Tour as well.
“I think a rising tide lifts all boats,” McIlroy said. “And I think having some of these players back is beneficial for the business of the tours.”
Then again, McIlroy’s place on the DP World Tour is safe and secure, given his high standing in the rankings. So he’s not worried about a handful of LIV players coming back.
However, for players like Luiten, who is ranked 67th in the Race to Dubai standings and on the backside of his career, the return of LIV stars to the DP World Tour represents a direct threat to his livelihood.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com
