DP World Tour star to become first former LIV golfer to tee up at the Players Championship

Laurie Canter’s close call in South Africa has put a couple of seismic events firmly on his radar – starting with the PGA Tour’s flagship event…

Laurie Canter might have lost out in a play-off at the South African Open, but there was a silver lining to the Englishman’s near-miss on the DP World Tour.

The 35-year-old was pipped to the title by South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo but earned enough world ranking points to put him on the brink of doing something no other LIV player, past or present, has managed since the inception of the controversial circuit.

Canter’s performance vaulted him inside the world’s top 50, earning him a spot in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and meaning he has the chance to become the first former LIV player to feature in a PGA Tour event that is not a major or co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.

Up to 42nd, the move also puts him in line for a maiden Masters invitation. Not a bad way to soften the blow should he keep himself in the top 50 until the end of March.

Canter was part of the first intake of players that bore the brunt of the criticism for jumping ship to LIV.

He was initially a reserve but played all eight events of LIV’s inaugural season on the Majesticks GC team before joining the Cleeks.

Canter played 10 events in 2023 – three for the Cleeks and seven for the Majesticks – before losing his spot to Anthony Kim early in 2024.

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After banking nearly $6 million through LIV, Canter returned to the DP World Tour and wasted little time making an impact.

He won the 2024 European Open and has made a strong start to 2025. A third-place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic was followed with a Bahrain Championship win before his close call in South Africa.

After the fourth round of the South African Open was cancelled due to flooding, Canter took on Naidoo in a sudden-death play-off for the title, but it was the latter who claimed a momentous first DP World Tour victory with a birdie.

However, having last played a LIV event more than a year ago, Canter has served his time in the PGA Tour wilderness and is now eligible to make his competitive debut at the iconic TPC Sawgrass for the Players Championship on March 13 before a potential first trip down Magnolia Lane.