Thomas Pieters joins LIV Golf: Former Ryder Cup star ranked in top 40 will debut next week in Mexico
LIV Golf made its first hit of the season. Thomas Pieters, who is ranked 34th in the Official World Golf Rankings, signed on to play in the PGA Tour rival tournament and will launch LIV next week in Mexico.
Pieters, who has been on the European Tour for most of his career and was a star at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, tweeted earlier this week that he was disappointed he wasn’t able to attend this week’s Genesis Invitational. Turns out, there’s a reason for that.
The Telegraph’s James Corrigan hints at the fact that the European Tour is essentially a feeder tournament for the PGA Tour doesn’t sit well with the Pieters.
But a seven-figure upfront fee as well as huge prize money are on offer – even if a golfer finishes last in the 14-event tournament he is guaranteed at least $2 million – became too tempting. There is also doubt that the Pieters are not (enchanted) with the “strategic alliance” between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tours.
The Pieters, who are a member of the European Tour but not a member of the PGA Tour, are a really good choice for LIV, if you consider that its goal is to be the most competitive golf tournament in the world. He was immediately the third or fourth best golfer in that tournament behind Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith and perhaps Joaquin Niemann, Paul Casey or Abraham Ancer.
There are certainly rumors that the Pieters are on the brink, but negotiations appear to have dragged on to the 11th hour. Previously, LIV’s most notable signings of the season were Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Dean Burmester. Now, they have a bit of a coup.
Pieters most recently played in the Dubai Desert Classic, where he finished T6. He has won a global event in three of the last four years and has twice made the top 10 at major championships. Golf data ranks him among the top 12 teams likely to qualify for the European Ryder Cup in 2023.
LIV’s 14-tournament season will begin next week in Mayakoba, a former PGA Tour venue.
