Amongst all this dialogue between the PGA-LIV merger, and the reunification of gamers for each leagues, there may be lastly somebody who switched from LIV Golf. That participant is Laurie Canter and he would be the first LIV Golfer to defect to PGA. What does this imply for the game, and can this be the beginning of a brand new pattern for LIV Golf gamers?
Laurie Canter Profession At LIV Golf
Canter began his LIV Golf profession in 2022 when the league debuted. On the time he was no. 86 on the planet rankings, and from there joined the Cleeks staff. That first yr, he completed thirty second out of 68 gamers within the LIV Golf season. The subsequent yr Canter turned a reserve participant and would make financial institution incomes slightly over $2 million. Nonetheless, he would wrestle to make the minimize within the following two years at LIV. In 2024 he performed his ultimate LIV occasion at Las Vegas, after which he was lastly pushed out. Now Canter is taking part in in PGA occasions and is starting to appreciate some success for himself.
Shifting On From LIV Golf
When Canter needed to depart LIV, he discovered himself again within the DP World Tour the place he performed earlier than signing onto LIV. There, he discovered himself not solely taking part in stronger video games but in addition successful occasions. Through the yr he spent within the DP World Tour, he reached quantity 42 on the planet rankings. He finally discovered that his time away from LIV was sufficient to get him right into a PGA occasion, only one yr after the participant’s final LIV occasion.
In an interview with The Instances, Canter reminisces on his time with LIV as a chance he took.
“I can hand on coronary heart say I wouldn’t harbour a grudge towards somebody who’d taken the chance to go and play on LIV, so if anybody feels hostile in the direction of me [at TPC Sawgrass], I gained’t be significantly nervous,” says Canter.
“One of many nice issues about golf is there’s all the time been a extremely good stage of respect and camaraderie between the gamers. That was gone for 2 years and it was an embarrassing time to be a professional due to the issues being mentioned, not simply by the gamers however a number of the individuals in and across the organisations answerable for the game, however I feel that interval is over now. The hostility is waning. I’m simply excited and actually proud to have the chance to play on this event.”
The bit about hostility waning is actually true. Many gamers in each leagues are keen to begin taking part in with one another once more after the leagues have been butting heads since 2022. He was clear to say that the cash LIV made out there to him was simply one thing he couldn’t refuse.
“LIV is a special beast. I used to be taking part in for ten to 12 occasions extra money each week towards a smaller area. As a monetary alternative, it was unrivalled,” says Canter. “Simply wanting on the backside line, it’s a chance that I needed to take. What I hadn’t foreseen was the experiential factor of being round a few of these gamers.”
What this Means For LIV and the PGA
Briefly, what it means is that if the merger falls via, there’ll nonetheless be a path for gamers to change between the 2. Given all of the dialogue about gamers who’re rumored to change again to PGA, that is excellent news. Canter is presently competing within the Gamers Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and is being known as a brand new “trivia reality”. Sooner or later he could also be seen as extra of a trailblazer by his colleagues. Setting a path amid relieving tensions between the 2 leagues.
Major Picture Credit score: © Peter van den Berg-Imagn Photos
