'LIV Golf Wanted To Destroy The DP World Tour' - Guy Kinnings Reveals Battle To Survive & Big Changes Coming In 2028

Guy Kinnings says LIV Golf "wanted to destroy the DP World Tour" as he explained his hardline stance on returning players, while also revealing a new PGA Tour deal was being worked on ahead of what could be huge schedule changes in 2028

By Paul Higham

Published 3 November 2026 In News

Guy Kinnings speaks at the 2026 BMW PGA Championship — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Guy Kinnings has explained the hardline stance the DP World Tour has taken with returning LIV Golf players, saying he's protecting his tour from a rival who had desires to 'destroy' the European golf circuit.

Although this year the DP World Tour worked out an exemption deal with LIV Golf player such as Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin, that's not the case for next season.

It's now a straight choice with Kinnings saying players have to play one or the other as anyone signing up for LIV 2.0 won't be able to play on the DP World Tour.

In an exclusive with The Scotsman's Martin Dempster, Kinnings has now explained why that decision was taken, to fend off the threat that LIV Golf presents.

“We've got to protect that special culture that we have on the Tour," Kinnings told The Scotsman.

“But we also have to protect the Tour against an entity who spent, so we are told, over $7 billion, with one of their aims being to ‘destroy the DP World Tour’. I have heard that from so many different people they talked to, who I have known for over 30 years within the game and who I trust implicitly.

“Clearly when you are faced with statements like that, and then people then ask why we are doing what we are doing with our membership and invite policy for 2027, then I think the answer becomes pretty obvious.

“Myself and everyone at the DP World Tour have a duty to our members to protect our Tour. We are proud of that and are proud that we treat everyone who works for the Tour, whether that be staff, suppliers, contractors, everyone, with respect and dignity. We pay them and pay them on time. We look out for everyone.

“Our Tour that has been in existence for over 50 years and it stands for everything that is good, right and proper in the game is worth fighting for and that is precisely what we have done and what we will continue to do.”

New PGA Tour Strategic Alliance deal being worked on

Kinnings says that golf as a sport, and the DP World Tour in particular, could use a reset after seeing prize money sky rocket with the advent of LIV Golf bringing about a "false economy".

“What LIV did was take prize funds to an artificially high level and, as has been shown recently, on the back of an entirely unsustainable economic model," he added.

There's been plenty of talk of the finances at the DP World Tour, but Kinnings remains bullish and points to "over a billion dollars currently contracted across the Tour" in sponsorship as a good sign.

And Kinnings believes things could get even better in terms of ties with the PGA Tour and a new 'Strategic Alliance' deal which is currenly being worked on.

"Brian Rolapp’s been very clear," said Kinnings. "He has said he wants to extend the Strategic Alliance and that's exactly the goal that I have. We're working on it right now."

All change on the DP World Tour for 2028

Main image of Rory McIlroy at the RBC Heritage and inset picture of new DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings

Another thing being worked on is the 2028 schedule, which could be a big change to the current structure give how the PGA Tour will shift for the arrival of the Championship and Challenger Series.

Kinnings says the DP World Tour will look at all options including a new focus on Rolex Series events and national opens, and even bringing in capital investment to help bolster tournaments.

While all options are on the table, the one certainty in Kinnings' mind is that it'll be all change in 2028, when the task will be to capitalize on the big gap a shortened PGA Tour will leave in the golfing landscape.

“In 2028, with the PGA Tour operating from February to August, that gives us an amazing opportunity from September through to the end of January almost without anything else going on, to truly shine a light on international golf as golf’s global Tour," he added.

“Our 2027 schedule starts in a couple of weeks, but we have got to make sure that we're ready for what 2028 brings. 2028 is going to look different.

"The PGA Tour is already shaping it in America and we need to do the same for the rest of the world. But, with all of those partners by our side, I remain very confident we'll do it.”

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.