With the PIF backing out, LIV Golf players are worried about late payments and uncertain financial futures. All but one will meet in Washington, D.C. this week to get answers. The Belgian, who is missing out, gave a clear stance on the Dan on Golf podcast.
“I’m definitely never going back to the PGA Tour,” Thomas Pieters said. “I’ve never liked that life. And that’s not me having a go at the PGA Tour, it’s not for me.”
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Pieters’ stance is not about money. He has reportedly earned about $14.5 million in LIV prize money over three seasons, not counting signing bonuses, and he is not unhappy with his earnings. He tried playing professional golf in America, but found the lifestyle unfulfilling and left. Unlike most players, Pieters’ choice is based on what suits him, not on bargaining power.
Some players got their latest payments a week later, before the Mexico City event. When asked what league leaders are saying about 2027, Pieters said, “Not much.” The PIF has said it will stop funding the league after the 2026 season, with total spending expected to go over $6 billion by the end of the year. CEO Scott O’Neil has also said it could take five to ten more years for the league to become profitable.
“We are just guessing right now,” Pieters said. “But if we’re playing for $5 million next year or I could play on the DP World Tour for $3 million but be close to home, that’s something I’d have to look at.”
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He is already open to taking a $2 million pay cut, seeing it as simple math rather than a sacrifice. As reported earlier, LIV Golf is now seeking private investors to replace PIF’s support. O’Neil called this search a “massive” challenge.
His calculations suggest Europe is the better option, not America. Pieters has already made this shift in his thinking, and the example set by Koepka and Reed makes the other choice seem even less attractive.
Thomas Pieters and the price of going back to the PGA Tour
The process for returning to the PGA Tour is already clear. Brooks Koepka came back earlier this year, agreeing to donate $5 million to a charity chosen by the Tour and accepting a ban from 2026 signature events unless he qualifies outright. According to the Associated Press, his total financial loss from these terms is at least $50 million. Patrick Reed served a one-year suspension, with his membership restored only after twelve months had passed since his last LIV event. Both players paid a price to return. Pieters has watched this and formed his own view.
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Pieters has identified the DP World Tour as his alternative. This fits with his career so far. He has six wins on the European circuit, most recently at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January 2022, and has always been based in Antwerp. Playing in Europe keeps him close to home and gives him a chance to return to the one stage where his record stands out. At Hazeltine in 2016, Pieters became the first European rookie to score four points in a Ryder Cup, breaking a record that had stood since 1983. He has not played in the Ryder Cup since.
Since joining LIV in February 2023, Pieters has not played in a major championship. His last appearance was at the 2023 Open Championship. He accepted that cost when he signed with LIV. While most of the discussion around LIV now focuses on who will return to the PGA Tour and under what conditions, Pieters is looking at a different issue.
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