LIV Golf defector eyes unprecedented PGA Tour move but makes comment ‘not allowed to say’

Former LIV Golf star Laurie Canter is eyeing a historic move to the PGA Tour after previously competing on the breakaway circuit.

Canter participated in seven of the eight events hosted by the LIV setup in its inaugural season in 2022, before stepping in as a reserve to replace Sam Horsfield as part of the Majesticks for the subsequent campaign. After playing the first two LIV events of 2024 as a wildcard, he has since returned to the DP World Tour – and with notable success.

Interestingly, Canter was somewhat of an exception 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.

His comeback to the Wentworth-based circuit has been remarkable, boasting three top-10 finishes this season, before clinching his maiden victory at the European Open in June. This triumph has propelled his name up the DP World Tour’s rankings, a crucial jump, with the top-10 players on the Race to Dubai list not already exempt handed cards on the PGA Tour for 2025.

Currently, the Englishman finds himself in one of those coveted 10 spots, and has a golden opportunity to solidify his position at The Open Championship this week, currently sitting at two-over-par with 18 holes left to play. Canter securing a spot on the PGA Tour would be a significant moment for the sport following the Tour’s ban on its members joining LIV, with none yet to return.

When asked if he was aiming for the PGA Tour card, he responded to 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.”

However, Cater remained grounded, admitting: “Still, we’ve got such a long way to go. with the second half of the year.

“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.”

Reflecting on his stint 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 to Europe, 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 expressed his belief that the different 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 stated. “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.”