Tour Confidential: DP World Tour fires back at LIV, Kisner calls out Rory | News

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss the DP World Tour banning LIV players who compete in version 2.0, Kevin Kisner calling out Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ future.

DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings said LIV players will no longer be allowed to compete on the DP World Tour in 2027, a policy change after it previously granted conditional releases. Is this a major blow to LIV’s future? Or just another jab among a series of recent punches?

Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@schrock_and_awe): It’s certainly a final attempt at a haymaker. LIV is sinking in bankruptcy court, and players are headed for the exits. By removing a place where competitive players could tee it up and keep their games sharp outside of LIV 2.0’s anticipated 10 events, there’s little reason for players still in their prime (or not even there yet) to stick with a tour that no longer offers $30 million purses. 

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens). I’m tempted to call it a death knell, but that would imply there’s life in the league to begin with. At this point, it seems like LIV’s best bet would be to merge with Bryson’s YouTube channel. What does it have that anyone wants to watch?

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): The leagues had been in awkward coexistence; something had to give. The subtext to Kinnings’ move is that he sees this as a moment of strength. Even though the DP World Tour faces its own existential questions, at the moment it has the clear upper hand over LIV, making this the right time to strike. It was interesting to hear LIV’s lawyers mention Kinnings’ comments as anticompetitive in a hearing last week — we’ll see how aggressive they get on this thread going forward.

One reason players were previously granted conditional releases was to keep LIV players eligible for the Ryder Cup. How do you see this move from the DP World Tour’s point of view? Is it simply trying to create separation from LIV or betting it will actually persuade more players to leave LIV? And any chance this backfires and hurts its 2027 Ryder Cup team?

Schrock: It’ll make the DP World Tour stronger in the short term and should help end LIV as a major threat in the ecosystem. Scott O’Neil has been talking about working together, but at the same time LIV was trying to pry national opens away from the DP World Tour. It feels like the decision-makers at Wentworth smelled blood and saw a way to improve their product, and they rightfully took it. Don’t see a world where this backfires on the Ryder Cup team. Honestly, it could deepen their talent pool as they look to fill the spots that aren’t already earmarked for their horses.

Sens: I think it’s killing two birds with one stone. You create separation, and in doing so, you give players more incentive to bail on LIV. The only way it could hurt the Ryder Cup team is if Tyrell Hatton decides to stick around on LIV. He’s the only LIV player left from the winning European squad last year.

Dethier: I think it’s just forcing the players’ hands by making it clear they can’t have it both ways. Each league has its own respective regulations and restrictions. They’re direct competitors. Hostility makes sense.

Six-time DP World Tour winner Joost Luiten told Today’s Golfer the DP World Tour should make it more difficult for LIV players to return and doesn’t like the fact that some returnees will take spots from players who were loyal to the DP World Tour. “Four years ago [LIV players] didn’t give a s— about the DP World Tour,” he said. “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.” The DP World Tour has previously handed out fines but has not suspended returning players. Although should it consider suspensions, like Luiten says?

Schrock: I don’t see any reason why players shouldn’t have to, as Rory McIlroy once said, “shoot the scores” needed to play where they want to play. Luiten has a point, but the DP World Tour will also benefit greatly from having these players in the field, even if it’s only for one year, so I don’t see any sort of penalty coming.

Sens: Suspensions/fines would be more than justified, but the DP World Tour also has an interest in putting together the strongest fields possible. I think that interest will win out over any roadblocks to return.

Dethier: Again, we’re in the awkward in-between of “what would be fair to guys who have stayed” and “what would make our tour work best going forward.” There are a lot of versions of this conversation these days. And look, Luiten’s gripes are justified. It’ll just be interesting to see how the DPWT weighs those gripes against, say, a mid-tier LIV player looking for his next landing spot.

Kevin Kisner criticized Rory McIlroy for previous comments about wanting to grow golf globally yet being among the players he alleges received an appearance fee for playing in the DP World India Championship. “He doesn’t want to globally expand in India, he wants to get his $10 million bucks and go play in India,” Kisner said. Told of Kisner’s remarks, McIlroy didn’t confirm or deny any appearance fees but did say, “people can get paid to come and play at a tournament but at the same time do it from a place of a genuine interest of trying to bring the sport to another country.” Any issue with either of these comments?

Schrock: Not an issue, but I don’t really see why Kisner felt the need to make a story out of nothing. People have been getting appearance fees in golf for a long time. You can want compensation and still believe in what you’re doing. Not everyone is motivated by just one thing. But that’s the attention economy we live in. We’re talking about it, so he wins.

Sens: Kisner isn’t wrong to say that “grow the game” gets used waaaay too freely to justify cash grabs, but his crass clickbait language cheapens his point. Plus, as McIlroy noted, it’s possible for two things to be true at once. He can really love the money, even as he likes the idea of going global.

Dethier: McIlroy’s stature in the game is such that his appearance at any tournament is a game-changer, not to mention at a new tournament in a massive but underserved market where he’s never been. So, yeah. I’m sure he got cut in on the deal. But he could have also stayed home and not generated money or interest for the tournament or himself. McIlroy is pretty up front about his interest in the business side of things, and he’s playing by the rules. Don’t see any issue here.

Will Zalatoris will miss all of the 2027 season after he undergoes a spinal-fusion surgery next month, just the latest injury setback for the 30-year-old pro who was the runner-up in three majors in a seven-year span back in 2021-22. Has there been a more talented player in recent years who has had a promising career stalled by injuries?

Schrock: My mind immediately went to Michelle Wie, but I’d also offer Jason Day, whose back issues really derailed his trajectory. Anthony Kim is also worth a mention given … you know, everything. 

Josh Sens: How recent are we talking? Because Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie might like to have a word. I might also throw Collin Morikawa’s name into the hat. He hasn’t been sidelined for anywhere near as long as any of the players mentioned above, but his back issues sure haven’t helped him.

Dethier: Joe Burrow comes to mind. So does Zion Williamson…oh, you mean golfers? The correct answers are above, but I’d just add Jordan Spieth — whose wrist injury cost him in ways seemingly unknown even to him — and Brooks Koepka, whose knee injury may have derailed an epic major-championship run.

Tiger Woods — remember him?! — made headlines when he was spotted hitting balls on the range at the TGR Junior Invitational at Pebble Beach, with his events company even adding the social-media caption: “Back on your feed, right where this swing belongs.” Easy one: does Tiger play the 2027 Masters?

Schrock: I’m sure he’ll try. I’ve long maintained that the 2027 major season, with Augusta, Pebble, and The Old Course, is the right time for Tiger to take a bow and exit the competitive stage gracefully. Doubt he goes that route, though. 

Sens: From your keyboard to Tiger’s ears, Josh. That would be a great way for him to exit. But I can’t imagine anything so definitive happening either. I wager that he’ll play the Masters, and that next year around this time, we’ll be asking. . . what are the odds that Woods plays the 2028 Masters?

Dethier: Yeah I’d expect we’ll see him there — he seems to be moving pretty well, all things considered. We’ll know more in the coming weeks when we see him, or don’t, at the Hero, at the PNC and at TGL. It ain’t the Tiger Slam, but it’s what we’ve got.