New LIV Golf Signing Says PGA Tour ‘Moving The Goalposts’ And ‘Lack Of Transparency’ Led To Seeking Switch

New LIV Golf signing Victor Perez has revealed he asked for a move to the PIF-backed league this winter after becoming frustrated with what the Frenchman called "constant change" on the PGA Tour.

Perez signed for Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC at the end of last year following two full seasons on the PGA Tour where he finished 71st and 109th. Before that, the University of New Mexico alumnus was a long-time DP World Tour player with three wins to his name.

Having earned his first crack at the US via the DP World Tour's dual-card opportunity in conjunction with the PGA Tour, Perez produced a number of strong results including two third-places and five further top-10s in his debut season.

But, after making the jump to what he had believed was the pinnacle of the sport, Perez admitted that he just could not find a level of comfort or consistency that would allow him to kick on.

A disappointing 2025 that featured only one top-10 saw him miss out on a full PGA Tour card for the current campaign.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Perez suggested that multiple and regular tweaks from the PGA Tour, such as a change in points distribution and a reduction in the number of available cards, played a part in the 33-year-old's struggles and led to him looking elsewhere.

The seven-time pro-winner said: "In my last few years in America, I’ve been playing fine, I would say. I’ve played an OK level, I wouldn’t say it’s been top form but it’s been fine.

"I’ve struggled a lot more with the fact that… I use the analogy that the goalposts keep moving where there are constant changes and there are new rules and there are new events and the points distribution is different.

"I think when you come from a place where you picture it as like the top of the pyramid and then my team and I have been quite disappointed with the lack of transparency and the difficulties of getting comfortable with the PGA Tour and everything that comes with it. And so we were kind of looking for different options."

Although the popularity of LIV might not be at the level Saudi officials had hoped when the league was launched four years ago, Perez revealed there are more pros keeping an eye on what's occurring on the rival circuit than people might realize.

Perez said: "I think everybody, if they’re honest, is keeping an eye on what the league is doing and everyone else is looking at what the tours are doing because you have friends that have gone to the league or stayed on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour. Everybody is checking scores, it’s all over social media and whatnot."

With his decision to try and move away from the PGA Tour made, the Frenchman shared that Frederik Kjettrup's relegation and the make up of Kaymer's Cleeks were both factors that went into his next move.

He continued: "We were looking for different options and obviously the key point was to join a team where I would feel comfortable. I guess [Frederik Kjettrup's] disappointment in his performances last year created an opportunity for me.

"I couldn’t really see myself joining many teams where I would feel comfortable in being myself. I think that’s something you take for granted being an individual playing an individual sport, you can just be you and it’s all about you all the time.

"But when you join a team, you can still be you but you also have to mould yourself within the values of the team and what transpires and what people want to do.

"I could only really see myself in a few teams, but you obviously need the fortune that there is a spot for you. Life is all about timing and the timing was right, so we were able to get something together. Timing is everything, I guess."

Pulling the curtain back somewhat on how these kinds of deals take place, Perez said that there was no need for his people to contact the Cleeks GC management in an official capacity, as might be expected. It was simply a case of texting Kaymer and asking the question.

Once the captain was open to a deal, agents and managers moved in to make it happen.

Perez said: "We kind of reached out to the teams and, to be honest, Martin and the Cleeks Golf Club were the only team that we targeted and went for to open the line of communication.

"That’s all you can really do, but it’s quite easy nowadays - we all have each other’s phone numbers, so it’s quite easy to initiate a chat and see what the options are and how that all works.

"It’s as simple as that, it’s not like we’re on some black platform talking to each other in secret. It starts with a basic communication and that gets relayed to different people on the team. It’s the same with me and my agents. Then you try to see if we can get something working.

"It actually happened quite quickly, and I’m delighted that it all worked and that I’m here and wearing a Cleeks shirt with a Cleeks hat. I’m ready to get started in a few weeks in Riyadh."