More Departures from LIV Golf: Pieters and Howell III Head to the DP World Tour

The exodus from LIV Golf continues. On Thursday, October 15, 2026, the industry website Flushing It Golf reported that Thomas Pieters would not be competing in LIV 2.0. Shortly thereafter, the Sports Business Journal reported the same for Charles Howell III. According to the reports, both plan to join the DP World Tour. No direct statement from either player was available by press time. At the same time, Jon Rahm —the league’s most famous player—is leaving. According to ESPN, he is forgoing approximately $100 million from the remainder of his contract.

Two Departures with Different Backgrounds

Pieters is no stranger to the European Tour. Before joining LIV, he had won six tournaments on the DP World Tour, most recently the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. In 2016, he was a member of the European Ryder Cup team. A return would not be a fresh start for him.

Howell III has spent most of his career on the PGA Tour, where he has won three times, most recently in 2018. He has made very few starts on the European Tour in recent years. He is currently ranked 517th in the world and would need invitations to compete in tournaments in 2027. His departure came as a surprise: Howell III had supported LIV during its financial difficulties and was considered a likely participant in the new season.

The situation for the remaining players

• Jon Rahm has parted ways with LIV. According to ESPN, which the BBC also cites, the deal involves approximately $100 million (about 89 million euros) from the remainder of the contract he signed when he switched from the PGA Tour in December 2023. That contract was reportedly worth $300 million. However, an official figure has not been released.
• Sergio Garcia is allowed to terminate his contract in writing. Read more about this in our report.
• According to reports,David Puig, Abraham Ancer, and Adrian Meronk have decided against joining LIV 2.0.
• Bryson DeChambeau has not yet made a decision. His contract is among those that have been rejected.
• Cameron Smith’s status is unclear. According to HITC, he is still weighing his options. The Mirror, on the other hand, lists him among the players who have already left LIV. Whether he will compete for LIV in 2027 remains to be seen.
• Richard Bland and Cameron Tringale have reportedly committed to 2027.

Controversy Over the Return

The field is divided on how to handle the returning players. Justin Rose sees no cause for resentment. He told The Mirror: “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no resentment. Everyone is welcome back.”

According to a Bloomberg interview,Rory McIlroy would vote in favor of the LIV players’ return if there were a vote, because it would benefit the business. The Mirror also quotes him as saying, “The threat is over.”

Joost Luiten sees it differently. He told Today’s Golfer: “They chose to chase the money. And now the money’s gone, and they want to come back as if nothing happened. I don’t think that’s right.”

A Counterexample: Eugenio Chacarra

Eugenio Chacarra left LIV after the 2024 season and fought his way back via the DP World Tour. On October 18, he won the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, his third victory of the season. With that win, he took the lead in the Race to Dubai. He had previously been quite critical. Speaking to Flushing It, he said, “Nothing changes at LIV—it’s all about the money.” Today, he sounds more relaxed: “I’ll always be grateful to LIV. I have nothing bad to say.”

The curtain falls at the end of October

The exodus shows just how much LIV Golf depends on individual players. With Rahm, Pieters, Howell III, and the other departures, the league is losing not only familiar faces but, above all, the ability to plan its schedule with certainty. The fact that Rahm is reportedly turning down around $100 million is a clear sign of the uncertainty surrounding LIV. The DP World Tour has further exacerbated the situation: Anyone who competes in LIV 2.0 in 2027 will lose their membership. For players with Tour status, this is a clear choice. For players like Howell III, who do not have Tour status, the path back will be significantly more difficult.

LIV has until October 25 to secure enough player commitments to secure funding from BC Partners. Only then will it become clear whether the league will launch in 2027 and how many players will remain. It also remains to be seen how the DP World Tour will handle returning players.