Can axed LIV Golf players play on PGA Tour? Rules explored

Eugenio Chacarra, who plays for Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf Tour, will move on. This development comes from Sergio Garcia, who captains the Fireballs GC. In a statement to Golf Magic, Garcia revealed the team was thankful to Chaccara for his contributions but is now looking for someone new.

Since the news of Chaccara moving on from Fireballs GC went viral, there have been questions about whether axed LIV Golfers can play on the PGA Tour. The answer is no. If a player with a PGA Tour membership card moves to the Saudi-backed tour, his PGA membership is suspended.

However, while LIV Golfers won't be able to compete on the PGA Tour, they are eligible to compete on the DP World Tour. The recent Open de Espana and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship witnessed several LIV Golf professionals compete.

It's also important to note that Chacarra was not a DP World Tour or PGA Tour member when he joined the Saudi-backed Tour. He joined as one of the best amateur golfers in 2022.

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PGA Tour chief Jay Monohan and LIV Golf's Yasir Al-Rumayyan were recently spotted together

In June 2023, the world of golf witnessed a major development when the PGA Tour and the PIF, which majorly owns the Saudi circuit, agreed to a framework agreement. However, since the announcement of the framework agreement, there has been no update about the prospective merger.

The deadlines to finalize the terms of the merger were missed. While both parties remained quiet since then, the two leagues came together as PGA Tour chief Jay Monohan and the PIF's Yasir Al-Rumayyan played together at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Monohan and Al Rumayyan were paired together at the tournament at Carnoustie. Images of the two big names embracing went viral. Billy Horschel, who was paired with the duo, spoke about this pairing. In an interview, Horschel hoped that fans understood these pairings were a move in the right direction. He said (via Golf Magic):

"Hopefully, the fans understand by this pairing, these groupings, that things are moving in the right direction. I do believe now looking at the game of golf, which I could never imagine [in 2022] sitting there and speaking how I spoke, that the divide that we've created in the game of golf would create such a disinterest in the fans. And that's really who has sort of been hurt by all this."

While there has been no significant update about the PGA Tour-PIF merger since this meeting at Carnoustie, LIV Golfer Anthony Kim was positive about Monohan and Al-Rumayyan's embrace. In a tweet, Kim wrote that this meeting is great for the game of golf.