The golfing landscape is completely different now compared to what it was like four years ago.
LIV Golf emerged onto the scene back in 2022 and poached some of the biggest stars from the PGA Tour.
The Saudi-backed outfit bursting onto the scene has caused a huge divide, with golf fans the real losers from the fallout.
We don’t get to see the best players in the world compete against each other outside of the four major championships, and that is just not right.
Despite ongoing talks, a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV will apparently never happen.
Which LIV golfer do you most want to see return to the PGA Tour?
Certain stars like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have proven to be untouchable for LIV Golf, with the best two players in the world remaining loyal to the PGA Tour.
However, one huge star of the past – a former FedEx Cup winner and major champion no less – was tempted by the finances that LIV had to offer back in 2022.
Golf fans claim Henrik Stenson’s ‘career is over’ after LIV Golf exit
Henrik Stenson hit the headlines on Monday after it emerged that he is set to return to the DP World Tour after paying his outstanding fines, following his relegation from LIV Golf.
As first reported by UK publication Bunkered, Stenson’s outstanding $1.3 million DP World Tour fines have been settled and the six-time PGA Tour winner now has plans to return to the Tour where he began his career.
And many golf fans are not happy whatsoever with the latest update.
Golf fans ripped into the DP World Tour for allowing Stenson a pathway back from LIV Golf.
“Should not be allowed! Let himself and Europe down for the big payday,“ one fan exclaimed. Meanwhile, another said: “Bet he deeply regrets going to LIV. He certainly should.“
While plenty of others echoed a similar sentiment, with comments stating: “Screw him! These guys should NOT be allowed back,“ and: “PGA, just say NO!“
Many other golf fans were equally passionate with their responses.
“Shouldn’t be allowed back,“ one exclaimed. While another suggested Stenson is irrelevant, along with everyone else on LIV for that matter: “That whole team can go and nobody would notice because they are all irrelevant at this point and they haven’t done jack.“
The views kept coming, with fans urging the DP World Tour to reconsider their stance. One fan exclaimed: “I think the DP tour should refuse. Why should they take LIV’s rejects. It’s fine without Stenson,“ while another said: “Sorry I don’t welcome any LIV player back. Turned his back on the real tour for money, and now considered for a captain.“
“And they thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. Hahahaha,“ one X user jokingly said.
Meanwhile, one fan suggested that Stenson’s career is finished regardless of what tour he is competing on: “The path back to real golf is too late for Henrik. He won’t make a cut. His career is over.“
Henrik Stenson could follow Laurie Canter’s path to the PGA Tour
The players who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf back in 2022 were all banned until at least 2027.
Anyone who joined LIV would most likely have to go back to qualifying school in order to regain their PGA Tour cards.
However, there is another way, as Laurie Canter has just proved.
Canter played on LIV in 2022, 2023 and the early part of 2024 before leaving to compete on the DP World Tour again.
Canter then earned his PGA Tour membership for the 2026 season just last week, along with nine other DP World Tour players, due to the alliance between the two Tours.
Now Stenson will be hoping to do the same, but whether that should even be allowed in the first place is very much up for debate.
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