Ex-LIV Golf star comes agonisingly close to historic PGA Tour return

Laurie Canter narrowly missed out on becoming the first LIV star to earn a card on the in the breakaway league's era.

Canter was aiming to secure to the top finishers on the DP World Tour, but fell short in the final event of the season at the DP World Tour Championship. During Sunday's final round, the Englishman seemed poised to make his move, notching up four birdies across his first seven holes. With a lucrative Tour card within reach, Canter needed a similar performance on the back nine to secure his spot.

However, the former LIV player couldn't maintain the high standards he'd set earlier. On the back nine, Canter managed just one birdie, alongside three bogeys. His fate was sealed on the final hole when he made a double bogey seven at the par-five 18th, resulting in him finishing tied-14th in the event and six spots short of the final PGA Tour card in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

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If he had managed to play his way onto the sport's leading circuit, it would have marked a significant moment for the game. Canter is a former member of the LIV setup, having participated in all three seasons of the breakaway league. His most recent appearance was earlier this year as a wildcard, where he competed in the first two events in Mexico and Las Vegas, reports .

Anthony Kim replaced him, but thanks to his exemption status on the DP World Tour, he was able to return to the European-based setup. Since then, the English golfer's game has improved significantly, culminating in his first victory on the Tour at the European Open in June.

Several top-10 finishes enabled him to qualify for the Tour playoffs, which began last week in Abu Dhabi, where he tied for 23rd place, keeping his hopes of earning a PGA Tour card for 2025 alive. Before heading to the Middle East, Canter revealed that even if he managed to play his way onto the Tour, he would have to serve a ban at the start of 2025 due to his participation in the LIV circuit earlier this year.

"I got sent a letter in the middle of the year," he told Bunkered. "The PGA Tour clarified the position I was in, which was that I was unable to play for a year from the last LIV event I played in which was Vegas. I replied saying, 'Thank you for clarifying that. I think your policy is absurd."

"And I do think it's absurd. I've never been a member of that tour. How can you ban someone who has never played on your tour? I would understand it if I was a member of their tour but in my context, I don't understand it. I am a golfer so I'm pro opportunity but it's a bizarre way of sanctioning someone."