On Monday, the DP World Tour made a statement that could spell death for LIV Golf. The tour said that any player who signed to play with LIV next year would be banned from DP World Tour events in 2027.
The move puts any player considering signing up for LIV 2.0 in a difficult position. Either play in LIV in 2027 or play in the DP World Tour. You can’t do both.
On Tuesday, a current LIV Golf professional faced questions for the first time since the LIV ban from the DP World Tour came to light.
That player was Anirban Lahiri. In his press conference in front of the 2026 DP World India Championshipthe two-time DP World Tour winner has not announced his LIV departure, as some other players did recently.
But his responses in light of the DP World Tour decision suggest his LIV future, and the future of LIV itself, are in doubt.
Anirban Lahiri’s LIV decision will be in ‘family’s best interest’
Even before the DP World Tour announced its ban on LIV Golf, the league was in dire straits.
Several LIV Golf pros have fled the league since it filed for bankruptcy in September. The most notable, of course, is Jon Rahm. Rahm, who has won the last three LIV individual season titles, made his decision known in LIV’s bankruptcy courtwhere his lawyers stated that he “will not participate further in LIV 2.0”.
Other players took a more careful approach. Take Sergio Garcia. The 2017 Masters champion officially terminated his LIV Golf contract in court. But Garcia made it clear that it does not mean that he did not sign for LIV 2.0.
Instead, he publicly talked about being able to play in both LIV and the DP World Tour in 2027. This was an option that many other LIV players seemed to be considering as well.
But thanks to Monday’s announcement by the DP World Tour that it’s banning LIV pros from its events, that’s no longer an option. Now that players have to choose between playing for drastically reduced purses in LIV Golf next year, or joining the DP World Tour full-time, signing with LIV 2.0 has become a much less desirable option.
In his press conference on Tuesday, Lahiri implied that he had not made a decision on where he will play in 2027.
“The situation is very dynamic. A lot of things are happening. It is difficult for me to comment on it, also because, you know, it is a matter of seeing how the processes work,” Lahiri began.
He said his focus now is on this week’s tournament, the India DP World Championship, a tournament Lahiri will be barred from next year if he chooses to stay with LIV.
“As for me, I’m just focused on playing this week. I’m here for the DP World Tour India Championship. I’m excited about how I’m going to play this week. I think my focus and energies will be in the here and now and next week, I’ll play in Hong Kong and then I’ll have the Philippine Open on my schedule, from when I think we’ll know,” said Lahiri.
As for when he will make his decision, Lahiri said everything will be revealed in a month or so.
“I think my only message to everyone who is going to have questions about this is that you have been patient until now. Just give it another month, month and a half, and everyone will know exactly what will happen one way or another.”
Until then, do not give any credence to “rumors” about what can happen with LIV 2.0.
“So, yes, that’s all I want to say about it. LIV was great for me and I liked it. Would I like to continue? Why not. But we don’t have a crystal ball so we’ll see where it goes,” Lahiri explained. “So the reality is that the only thing I’ve learned in the last four, four and a half years is until something happened in reality it didn’t happen. It was just a cycle that was repeated. People say things that are rumours, this is believed, this is believed. Someone else does that. It just continues, and then something completely different happens.”
One thing Lahiri has not done is commit to LIV 2.0. He also revealed that his final decision on where to play next year will be based on what is best for his family.
“For me, I have to do what I have to do. My time was spent well with my family focusing on my own well-being, their well-being. I like to play golf. I believe that I have a lot of gas in the tank, much more that I want to achieve, and I will continue to work my hardest to be the best golfer that I can,” said Lahiri. “Where the game will be based on the best interest of my family and myself. When this opportunity or option is put in front of me, I will exercise the best option.”
He went on to imply that there are “a lot of things going on” that he is unable to share with the public right now. For now, he is waiting for all his options to be “in front” to make his decision.
“There are many things that are happening that I am not private to share. As I said, I will make my decision when my options are in front of me, and the decisions will be based on what I believe is in the best interest of my family and me,” he said. “Whatever option allows me to balance that with where I’m at in my life is what I’m going to do.”
