Laurie Canter turned down a PGA Tour card and joined Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf for a second time. The league announced Monday that he had joined the Majestiks for the 2026 season.
Canter finished 7th in the Race to Dubai and was one of 10 European Tour players who had the chance to join the PGA Tour. Upon joining LIV Golf, he was suspended from the PGA Tour and his card went to Daniel Brown.
Advertisement
“Joining Majesticks GC is an incredible opportunity to be part of a team that has helped shape LIV Golf from day one,” Canter said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Englishman was an unusual case when LIV launched its league in 2022. He had limited status on the European tour and joined the Saudi-backed league for a place to play. Canter played seven times in the inaugural year and finished 28th in the standings.
He was a reserve in 2023, replacing injured players and participated in LIV Golf 11 times. Canter started 2024 playing twice with LIV as a reserve until being replaced by Anthony Kim.
He returns to the European tour and wins the European Open in Germany in 2024. Win again at the start of 2025 in Bahrain led Canter to reach 50th place in the world rankings. This brought him to the Players Championship, making him the first former LIV player in the tour’s premier tournament. He also reached the Masters.
Advertisement
Canter joins Frenchman Victor Perez to join LIV Golf.
The Majestiks are an England-based team that started with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield. Stenson failed to finish in the top 48 this year and was relegated, opening up a spot for Canter.
“The growth of the league has been remarkable and my experience in the league has led me to become a more complete player and a multiple DP World Tour winner,” Canter said, referring to the marketing name of the European Tour. “Returning to the league with Majesticks GC is a huge honor, and they bring a level of excellence, ambition and identity that really resonates with me.”
Last year, Tom McKibbin earned a PGA Tour card through the European Tour and joined LIV in January. Because the season had already started, his PGA Tour card was not rolled over. Brown can accept it because Canter signed with LIV before the end of the year.
___
AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
