Will LIV Golf lose all its players? That’s a question that remains unanswered. For now, the latest name to head for the exit is Thomas Pieters. The six-time DP World Tour winner has been in the league since February 2023 and was part of 4Aces this season. Earlier this year, he sounded like someone who expected LIV to survive 2027. But now that LIV is asking players to sign up for the next version, many aren’t doing so, and Pieters has joined the list.

NUCLR Golf reported the update on X, stating, “6-time DP World Tour winner Thomas Pieters is leaving LIV Golf and is set to exit the league, becoming the latest golfer to not move forward with LIV 2.0 as he pursues a fuller DP World Tour schedule. The Belgian was a member of the 4Aces.”

Pieters has not publicly commented on the move yet. His exit follows those of Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, and David Puig, who have all said they will not be part of LIV 2.0. It also comes days after the DP World Tour ruled out dual membership. CEO Guy Kinnings told BBC Sport that players need to make a choice. He added that those unwilling to comply with the regulations will not be able to join the tour or be awarded membership.

The deadlines are also putting pressure on players to decide quickly. LIV has asked them to commit to 2.0 by October 25, while the DP World Tour closes membership applications on November 16. Since Pieters currently has no DP World Tour status, the ruling may have pushed him to make a decision sooner, as other players face the same situation.

To understand why Pieters is now heading towards the exit, it helps to look at how he got here. He joined LIV in February 2023 with Bubba Watson’s team, replacing the injured Hudson Swafford. At the time, he was around 35th in the world and said he wanted to make the most of LIV’s first season.

His family was a major reason for the switch, as he has two daughters. He explained,
“As a father, it suits me to have a lighter schedule.”

Later, he put his decision more simply:
“I’ve made so much money out of golf already. I was fine before I joined LIV. I just did it because I want to spend two more months with my kids a year. Less golf, more money.”

Before joining LIV, Pieters spent most of his career on the DP World Tour, where he won six times. He also tried the PGA Tour, joining in 2017 and making 53 starts. His best result was a runner-up finish at that year’s Genesis Open. However, he said he did not enjoy life in the United States and returned to Europe full-time after the 2018 season. He stayed there until LIV came calling, eventually losing his DP World Tour membership at the end of 2023.

As for his time on LIV, it started slowly, but he improved with the 4Aces, who acquired him ahead of 2025. That year, he finished 19th in the standings and ended a season inside the “Lock Zone” for the first time.

In fact, his 2026 was even better. He tied for fourth in Riyadh, took solo third in Hong Kong, and tied for sixth in Singapore after a bogey-free 65 in the final round. The 4Aces won team titles in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Virginia along the way. However, he never had the chance to win an individual LIV event, but he has earned more than $15 million in prize money since joining.

Despite that success, Pieters had already expressed doubts about LIV’s future. In May, he told the Dan on Golf Show that the league’s future was uncertain, but he was clear about one thing:

“I’m definitely never going back to the PGA Tour. I’ve never liked that life, and it’s not me having a go at the PGA Tour. It’s not for me. I tried it, and I just wasn’t happy there. If it (LIV) goes away, I’ll probably try to play on the European Tour, or I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

In the same interview, he said he was ready to walk away from golf when the funding news broke.

“I called home, and I was like, ‘I’m ready to retire on Monday if they pull that plug that quick. And that was okay with me, kind of.'”

However, he also outlined a fallback plan.
“For me, there’s only one plan B, and that’s to go back to play in Europe. But like I said, I’d rather play out here in Europe. Europe is a great fallback thing, and I can play Q School. I can play on the Challenge Tour. We’ll see. It’s not really on my mind at this point.”

That now looks like the most likely path. Pieters currently has no DP World Tour status, so he must either go through Q School or secure an agreement guaranteeing him a set number of invitations.

Why are Players Leaving?

This raises another question: Why are players choosing to leave now? Many stuck with LIV through its funding uncertainty and bankruptcy filing because they wanted the league to work. Yet players are now leaving just days before the October 25 deadline for LIV 2.0 commitments. The lack of stability, clear answers, and transparency appears to be a major factor. Pieters himself said this year that players often heard official news only hours before it was made public.

He is also far from the first player to leave. Brooks Koepka left in December 2025, followed by Patrick Reed in January 2026. Sergio Garcia, one of the league’s top players, was released from his contract on October 6.

Jon Rahm’s lawyer told the court that he had “no interest” in LIV 2.0.

David Puig has also said, “I don’t see myself playing in LIV 2.0.”

Abraham Ancer has confirmed that he is not renewing his contract, while Adrian Meronk is also reportedly leaving.

For now, LIV says it will know by the end of October whether it will move forward or wind down, with no plans for an equity-based rebrand. Pieters, meanwhile, appears to be heading back to Europe, with Q School this winter a likely first step. After four seasons with LIV, he could be returning to where his career began.