Ex-LIV Golf star sets sights on PGA Tour after ‘it didn’t work out’ on breakaway circuit
Laurie Canter is a former member of the LIV Golf setup, but having failed to earn a spot in 2024, the Englishman is hoping he can play his way onto the PGA Tour

Former LIV Golf star Laurie Canter is hoping to become the first player to earn membership on the PGA Tour having previously competed on the breakaway circuit.

Canter played in seven of the eight events hosted by the LIV setup in its inaugural season in 2022, before being called up as a reserve to replace Sam Horsfield as part of the Majesticks for the following campaign.

Having played the first two LIV events of 2024 as a wildcard, he has since ventured back to the DP World Tour – and with some success.

Canter had been somewhat of anomaly in the off-course politics between LIV and the DP World Tour, having been able to play on the Saudi-backed series without punishment due to his membership category with the Tour.

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His return to the Wentworth-based circuit has been an impressive one, having racked up three top-10 finishes this season, before landing his maiden victory at the European Open in June. This has seen his name rise up the DP World Tour’s rankings, an important leap, with the top-10 players on the Race to Dubai list not already exempt handed cards on the PGA Tour for 2025.

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The Englishman currently finds himself occupying one of those 10 spots, and has a great chance to strengthen his case at The Open Championship this week, sitting at two-over-par with 18 holes left to play. Canter playing his way onto the PGA Tour would be a monumental moment for the sport after the Tour banned its members for joining LIV, with none yet to return.

Asked if the PGA Tour card was a target of his, he told reporters at Royal Troon: “Yeah, I think so. That would be awesome, wouldn’t it, to play on the PGA TOUR is something I would love to do at some point.” Keeping his feet firmly on the ground though, Cater admitted: “Still, we’ve got such a long way to go. with the second half of the year.

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Laurie Canter is at The Open (
Image:
Getty Images)
“A lot of big-point tournaments. I kind of, to be honest, before I won, was just a little bit trying to play as well as I could out of my category, make sure I was all right for next year. It’s kind of slightly moved the goal posts for me. I’ve got something to aim for, and that would be great, yeah.”

Looking back at his time with LIV, he added: “Yeah, didn’t [it] work out for me playing on the LIV Tour, but I felt like I improved a lot as a golfer. I was around so many good players for quite a long period. I was able to bring a bit of that back toEurope, and I think that’s probably been helpful to me.

“To be around sort of the best players in the world, which was a position I wasn’t really in playing in Europe before.” Canter also believes that the differing formats on either side of professional golf’s civil war can co-exist peacefully. “The one thing I would say is having done both, I think there’s room for both,” he claimed.

“I like both formats. Can I say that? Are you allowed to say that these days, like you actually like both things? I really do… I’m firmly on the middle of the fence because I actually like both.”