'Having A Chance To Go And Play The PGA Tour Would Be My Number-One Outcome' - Laurie Canter On Aiming For The States, His Ideal Schedule, And How The Main Circuits Could Eventually Co-Exist

Two years ago, Laurie Canter was playing in the LIV Golf League. Since then, he has returned to the DP World Tour, won twice, made a move up into the world's top-50 and has his sights firmly set on making it to the PGA Tour on a permanent basis.

The 35-year-old became the first ex-LIV golfer to compete in an exclusive PGA Tour event when he appeared at The Players Championship in March. Since then, he has appeared in all three Majors and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside close friend and DP World Tour peer, Jordan Smith.

However, that run of tournaments has also seen Canter miss five of six cuts with a best finish of T55th at the US Open. In the first two months of 2025, he had won the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour, finished third at the season-opening Dubai Desert Classic and ended as runner-up at the South African Open Championship.

Such a positive start to the campaign - coming off the back of a strong end to 2024 - led to whispers about a potential Ryder Cup call-up. Like friend Smith, Canter was included in the Team Cup in January with a view to gaining experience should he earn the nod for Bethpage Black.

Although those dreams appear to have faded somewhat due to his difficult run in the early summer, Canter remains optimistic that a strong second half of the season could reignite hopes of a position among Luke Donald's roster.

But it's not just the Ryder Cup on Canter's mind. The three-time pro winner is looking at the bigger picture and wants to follow Rory McIlroy and co.'s Europe-USA-Europe schedule as he builds his career back up.

In order to do that, though, he needs to earn status on the PGA Tour. And that is exactly what Canter intends to do.

Speaking to Golf Monthly about his goals and aspirations for the remainder of this season, Canter said: "I’d love to play on the PGA Tour, so I think it’s about giving myself the best chance to do that.

"Being in the Majors obviously helps with that, but it would be great to have a run in the States and get a few more opportunities on the PGA Tour this season. Failing that, getting one of the ten cards [via the DPWT] for next year would be great.

"I think the opportunity to play out there is brilliant, especially during the middle part of the season with how the calendar has evolved.

"The early-season DP World Tour events and those from September onwards are amazing. I’d love to keep playing those, but having a chance to go and play on the PGA Tour would be my number-one outcome."

A mixed calendar is something Canter is certainly used to, having competed on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, LIV Golf League, Challenge Tour and EuroPro Tour since turning pro - regularly blending circuits in the same season.

And while many players follow suit, most fans agree that the inability for LIV's top golfers to compete against the elite talent on the PGA Tour in particular is holding men's pro golf back somewhat.

Currently, the only way of a player moving from LIV Golf to the PGA Tour is by accepting a year's ban from their last 54-hole league start, competing on either the Asian Tour or DP World Tour in the meantime and then pursuing opportunities Stateside once their prohibition period is over.

That is a route former Fireballs GC player, Eugenio Chacarra is taking as he hunts one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer to DP World Tour golfers at the end of the season.

But, ultimately, the lack of pathway from LIV to the PGA Tour - and vice versa - means the best players in the world are only ever going to play against each other four times a year at most.

Canter, for one, admits he would love to see barriers removed but does not believe anything will happen for a while still - even after the PGA Tour appointed new CEO, Brian Rolapp.

If and when a deal is agreed, the Englishman believes each of the three main tours will have to be given a slot in the year to take the spotlight in order for an agreement to be signed.

Asked how he sees the landscape of men's pro golf evolving, Canter said: "I don’t know. It’s pretty hard because there has been quite a lot of back and forth and the tours have changed and evolved to try and respond.

"I would love to see something done - I think it would benefit a lot of people - but I find it difficult to see how it would come back together quickly.

"There are lots of different ideas about how the two sides could kind of co-exist, and I think ultimately it’s about how to give each tour its moment in the sun at various points throughout the year. But the tours and the governing bodies need to all be pulling in the same direction to make that happen."