Laurie Canter is on the brink of making history as the first former LIV Golf player to regain his PGA Tour card. The Englishman currently sits ninth in the Race to Dubai standings, with only two events left before next month’s DP World Tour playoffs.
The 35-year-old, who turns 36 just before the upcoming Abu Dhabi Championship, surged up five places after finishing tied for second alongside Nacho Elvira at the Genesis Championship. A remarkable 100-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole in South Korea secured him 433.5 points — his biggest haul since winning the Bahrain Championship earlier this year.
Speaking with Sky Sports after his impressive performance, Canter opened up about his challenging journey back to form.
“We play such a frustrating game,” he admitted. “At the start of the year, I had momentum, but the last few months have felt like paddling upstream. I just wanted to go into the playoffs feeling free — not like I’m playing with a gun to my head.”
Canter’s consistency this season has kept him among the top 10 for most of the year. Should he maintain his current position, he could become the first ex-LIV Golf player to reclaim full PGA Tour status — a feat that would mark a major milestone in the sport’s ongoing post-LIV realignment.
After leaving the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022, Canter was suspended and fined £725,000. His return to the DP World Tour came in 2023 following a seven-week suspension, during which LIV reportedly covered the fines on his behalf. He narrowly missed out on qualifying for the PGA Tour last year, finishing 16th among non-exempt players.
The Englishman’s two-season stint in LIV Golf earned him around £4.5 million, though it ended in disappointment when he failed to retain his spot for a third season — missing a crucial five-foot putt that would have been worth £1.5 million.
His final appearance on the breakaway tour was in February 2024, making him ineligible for a year under PGA Tour regulations. That restriction has now expired, allowing Canter to compete in The Players Championship earlier this year as one of the world’s top 50 eligible players — the first former LIV golfer to tee up in a PGA Tour event.
Now, just weeks away from potentially earning full PGA Tour membership for 2026, Laurie Canter stands on the verge of completing a comeback few thought possible — and setting a precedent that could open the door for other former LIV players to follow.
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