With the future of LIV Golf very much in doubt, one LIV pro is mulling his own future in the game. That future will “definitely” not involve the PGA Tour.
Thomas Pieters, who played on the DP World and PGA tours before joining LIV, opened up about his future outlook with the upstart tour in dire straits on the “Dan on Golf” podcast.
In his appearance, Pieters shed light on the “grim” atmosphere when the latest LIV funding news broke, while also declaring that he will “never” go back to the PGA Tour.
Thomas Pieters would retire before PGA Tour return: ‘I will be forgotten’
When the first reports broke that the Saudi Arabia PIF would pull funding from LIV Golf, Pieters didn’t know what to believe. Neither did the rest of his LIV compatriots.
They were all in Mexico preparing for the LIV Golf Mexico City event. With no official word from the league, players began speculating whether that week’s tournament would even happen.
Pieters said the “atmosphere was very grim,” and that he made a phone call home to let his family know he was prepared “to retire” on the spot if necessary.
“I called home and I was like I’m ready to retire on Monday if they pull the plug that quick, and that was OK with me, kind of,” Pieters said on the “Dan on Golf” podcast. “The atmosphere was very grim… I had enough of it after about three or four hours.”
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The veteran pro, who has won six DP World Tour events in his lengthy career and spent time playing the PGA Tour, attempted to explain his unique perspective, arguing that unlike top players, he “will be forgotten.”
“I have gotten a lot out of it already, and I’ve achieved a lot of stuff that I didn’t think was possible when I was a kid growing up in Belgium,” Pieters said. “But I will be forgotten, which is fine. I’m no Brooks Koepka, or Rory, and I’m completely fine with that.”
Retirement, however, isn’t a certainty for Pieters if LIV Golf ceases to exist. He said he might try to play the DP World Tour and be closer to home. But one thing is for sure: he won’t be making a return to the PGA Tour.
“I’m definitely never going back to the PGA Tour. I’ve never liked that life. And that’s not me having a go at the PGA Tour, it’s not for me,” Pieters explained. “I tried it and I just wasn’t happy there. If it [LIV Golf] goes away, I’ll probably try and play some on the European Tour or I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
He continued: “I’m not fussed about it at this point because I feel like I still have a duty to focus on these next six, seven tournaments on LIV and then we’ll see. They’re obviously trying to get it together next year. We’ll see.”
