LIV Golfer takes up full membership of DP World Tour as situation surrounding fines remains unclear

The DP World Tour has tight rules and regulations for golfers who compete on the LIV Golf circuit while remaining full members of the DPWT. Interestingly, golfers who want to keep their European Tour membership while playing on the LIV Golf (to qualify for tournaments like the Ryder Cup) need to pay penalties or face suspensions.

One of the golfers who bridged the gap between the two circuits last season was David Puig. While the young Spanish golfer was playing in the Saudi-backed league during the 2025 season, he recently signed up for full-time membership with the DP World Tour. Puig initially signed with the LIV Golf circuit as an amateur, and thus, it is unclear whether he has received fines or suspension from the European Tour.

Flushing It Golf reported David Puig's full-time membership and unclear fine details in one of their X posts. The post also revealed that there has been no information on whether Puig was an affiliate of LIV Golf in the 2025 season. The post read:

"David Puig has taken up full membership of the DP World Tour for the 2026 season after playing as an affiliate this year. It’s unclear what the situation is with the fines, but there were no sanctions for his 2025 LIV events as an affiliate. Great news for David and the tour!🔥"

Puig has been solid throughout the 2025 season, with his best performance coming in the DP World Tour's Ras Al Khaimah Championship, hosted by Al Hamra Golf Club. He finished the event with a total score of 15-under par, taking a solo third place.

With Puig as a permanent member of the DPWT, the tour will undoubtedly have some more competitive tournaments, something the tour definitely needed. Another prominent golfer recently even talked about it.

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Five-time major champion wants big golfers to step up so the DP World Tour can grow

Genesis Scottish Open - Day Four - Source: Getty

The DP World Tour has frequently been compared to the LIV Golf Circuit. The two tours have fantastic talent, but Rory McIlroy recently pointed out that the DPWT's top golfers have not been participating in major tournaments.

During the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy emphasized the importance of big golfers being involved in DPWT tournaments. According to the BBC Sports, he explained:

"There's a wonderful heritage to this tour. I think with the fractured nature of the men's professional game at the moment, this tour needs all of its stars to step up and play in the big events. I understand that I am one of those people, and I want to do my utmost to help in whatever way that I can. I feel quite a responsibility to do that."

The 2025 Masters winner also stated that he did not prioritize the tour in the past, but he intended to do so in the future.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam