Tranlate this title Another major defection for LIV Golf’s future in spanish

Although he was still optimistic about the future of LIV Golf as recently as late July, Thomas Pieters has ultimately decided not to continue his journey there in 2027. The 34-year-old Belgian, a member of Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team, intends to return to the DP World Tour on a full-time basis. This marks yet another departure for the breakaway circuit, which is already grappling with the loss of several key figures.

It took only three months for Thomas Pieters to change his mind. The Belgian will not be part of the «LIV Golf 2.0» project and plans to play a full schedule on the DP World Tour in 2027.

This decision stands in contrast to his recent statements; the former Ryder Cup player had previously expressed confidence in the future of LIV Golf, while also noting that he would be prepared to go through the European Tour’s qualifying school if necessary.

A return to his roots after four seasons on LIV

Since joining LIV Golf in 2023, Pieters has reportedly earned over $25 million in prize money. For the past two seasons, he competed as part of the 4Aces, the team captained by Dustin Johnson.

Before his move to the breakaway circuit, the Belgian had secured six victories on the DP World Tour, including the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January 2022. He also made a strong impression at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, winning four of his five matches, even though the European team ultimately suffered defeat.

The list of departures continues to grow
Pieters’ decision comes as LIV Golf attempts to prepare for a relaunch without the financial backing of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF).

Following Jon Rahm, other players—including Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig, and Adrian Meronk—are also reported to be on their way out.