Sergio Garcia has never been shy about his allegiance. In 2022, he picked LIV Golf over the European Tour, even though it cost him his DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) membership, his eligibility for European Ryder Cup selection, and roughly $1 million in fines to the tour. Even in a recent interview with Bunkered, the 46-year-old said he believed the league isn’t going anywhere. However, Garcia’s 2027 DP World Tour move contradicts his 99% confidence in LIV.
“It looks good; I think they’ve had a lot of meetings with different potential investors, and like I’ve been saying, I’m 99% sure LIV is going to continue; it’s just going to look different than it has in the last four years. But I’m very, very confident it’s going to keep going; we’ll see how it develops,” Garcia said.
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In contrast to his strong belief, Garcia has confirmed his plans to regain his DP World Tour card.
The decision is baffling for someone certain his league is doing fine. Garcia has a long history with the DP World Tour, long before LIV Golf existed. But he resigned from the Tour in May 2023 following an arbitration panel ruling that upheld the Tour’s right to fine players who competed on the rival circuit without permission.
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However, that break didn’t last long. In November 2024, Garcia paid off over $1 million in fines and rejoined the DP World Tour, hoping to make a place on the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. That comeback fell short, too. When the Ryder Cup push fizzled, he chose not to renew his membership for 2026, stepping away for the second time. Now, just months later, he’s signaling intentions to return for a third stint in 2027.
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Further, Garcia wants to join the circuit with his Fireballs GC teammate, Jose Luis Ballester.
That said, not every LIV player is telling the same story. Carlos Ortiz, playing his way into contention at the BMW International Open, gave a far bleaker assessment days ago. He said the situation is looking a little tough for LIV and added that whatever happens, he’s sure he’ll find somewhere to play, as it’s simply about playing golf for him. Garcia’s certainty stands out precisely because it isn’t universal in the locker room.
The numbers explain why players are hedging. LIV is heading into 2027 without the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). While the league’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, is trying to raise $250 million to $350 million in fresh investment to keep the league going, he hasn’t succeeded so far. The proposal on the table is to shrink the calendar from 14 events down to 10. Reports suggest that even the signature shotgun start, a defining feature of LIV since its launch, could get scrapped as part of cost-cutting.
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Downsizing is already showing up on the ground. LIV’s planned event in Louisiana was removed from the 2026 schedule entirely. LIV New Orleans was also canceled. The league continues to suffer from increasing debt. According to the Financial Times, PIF has pledged a third of the 600 million it had promised earlier to fund the league for the remainder of the season. But the league is already running on loans. Golf analysts have suggested LIV Golf may not survive for more than a month.
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