TROON, Scotland – Not even the rain that fell as he played the back nine at Royal Troon Golf Club could dampen the spirits of Laurie Canter after shooting 1-under 70 in the third round of the 152nd British Open. Canter smiled wide at the thought of earning a PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings.
“That would be awesome, wouldn’t it? To play on the PGA Tour is something I would love to do at some point,” he said.
Canter, a 34-year-old Englishman, is trying to do a first: go from LIV Golf to the DP World Tour and then earn a spot on the PGA Tour via a pathway opened for players last year to procure status on the PGA Tour with their play on the DP World Tour.
Before Canter could return to the DP World Tour, he had to pay his fines which he said LIV Golf took care of and totaled £725,000. How that money would be used, he didn’t know.
What Canter did next could be life-changing: he won the European Open in Germany and entered the week No. 13 in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings. Ten PGA Tour cards are available to the highest-ranked players in the final Race to Dubai standings who don’t already hold Tour status for finishing in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Ludvig Aberg, Adam Scott and Tommy Fleetwood therefore wouldn’t count in the top 10, meaning he’s currently eighth, though there is a long way to go.
But even if he were to earn his PGA Tour card, Canter said he’s been notified that even though he’s a non-member (and thus not suspended) he’s ineligible for PGA Tour competition for playing on LIV.
Canter was a founding member of LIV Golf and played on the Cleeks in 2022. But he lost his roster spot in 2023 and played as a reserve. He managed to compete in 11 of the 14 events and finished 44th in the standings. He lost out in a 3-for-2 playoff to join a team this season. Nevertheless, he played in the first two events this season at Mayakoba and Las Vegas, but has since returned to the DP World Tour.
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“It’s been amazing to come back and play full time on the DP World Tour, and I’m thankful I can do that,” Canter said Saturday. “In that respect I’m one of the lucky ones, and I’ll just keep chasing it the rest of the year and hopefully try and finish as high up the list as I can.”
Canter said he would be strictly playing the DP World Tour and honor its rules.
“Once the…
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