Another LIV golfer remains committed to staying put: ‘I have full faith in the future of LIV’
The future of the LIV Golf Tour was suddenly put in serious jeopardy.
The breakaway golf tour has previously relied on funds from the Saudi Arabia-backed Public Investment Fund to support extremely high purses and bring in top players with huge signing bonuses. But that funding ends after the 2026 season, putting all that progress in jeopardy.
Several prominent players have addressed the financial situation, including Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau said a possible return to the PGA Tour is on the horizon and that he’s ready to focus on his YouTube career if the PGA membership doesn’t want him back. He was also adamant that the team model LIV uses has proven to be a huge success, creating value for players.
And clearly some agree with him.
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Thomas Pieters said in a new interview that he will never return to the PGA Tour and is hopeful LIV can find a way to overcome that challenge. Another of his 4Aces teammates apparently agrees.
Thomas Pieters of 4Aces Golf Club walks to the third green during the second round of LIV Golf on August 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
In a new interview with “Beyond the Clubhouse” PGA Tour winner Thomas Detry said he is fully committed to LIV and believes the tour and its different format are a huge success.
Detry announced that he closed his social media accounts because there were too many “lies” spreading rapidly. He also said that playing in LIV changed the “misconception” he had before.
“The biggest misconception is that the product is great,” he said. “I didn’t realize how good the product was. I think LIV is a great product. We go all over the world, the tournaments are very good. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things that can be improved, but it’s still a start-up. It’s only 4 years old.”
Detry also said that despite assumptions in the golf world, players “like it” and most do not want to return to the PGA format.
“Sometimes you see on social media that players hate it and want to come back, and that’s not real,” he continued. “The players really love it here and want to make it successful. I think I’ve achieved that in my first six weeks.”
LIV GOLF CEO SENT A MEETING NOTE TO HIS STAFF AFTER THE NEWS THAT SAUDI FUNDS MAY END AT THE END OF THIS SEASON
Thomas Detry tees off at the 12th green during the second day of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City on April 17, 2026. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Detry also stated that he was committed to a long-term work with LIV, saying that he had no intention of leaving and wanted the rest of the roster to show “adaptation and support” for the format.
“I fully support the whole thing,” he said. “I think the players are behind everything, too. But now is the time for the entire league and every player here to show alignment and support for this whole thing. I don’t think this is the right time for individualistic people and self-centered people to go their separate ways. I think if everybody stands up for each other and we all give this thing our full support, it will go a long way.”
“I fully support the whole thing and believe in the future of LIV.”
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When the news of PIF’s retirement from golf broke, many people expected the tour to end immediately. This could still happen after the 2026 season, but if CEO Scott O’Neil can’t find new investors, there’s been a pretty consistent message from players that they prefer the LIV format over the PGA program.
Thomas Detry of 4Aces Golf Club greets fans on the 18th green during the third day of LIV Golf Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club on March 14, 2026. (Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)
This makes sense because they chose LIV when given the opportunity. Clearly there are benefits beyond greater financial rewards. So shorter schedules, fewer tournaments and more certainty. Or at least the pre-PIF announcement is more definitive. LIV Golf Virginia is currently underway at Trump National just outside Washington, D.C., and none of the players have given up on participating.
The assumption was that the entire LIV field would return to the PGA Tour as soon as 2026. Based on what we’ve heard so far, this seems unlikely to be the case.
