How former LIV Golf player made history, earned Players Championship exemption

Laurie Canter will become the first ex-LIV golfer to play in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Laurie Canter has a chance to make history at TPC Sawgrass. If he decides to play, he would be the first former LIV Golf player to tee it up in the PGA Tour’s most prestigious event, The Players Championship.

But how did he earn this possibility in the first place?

On Sunday, Canter lost in a sudden-death playoff to Dylan Naidoo at the Investec South African Open. Tournament officials shortened the event to 54 holes due to torrential rain. However, Naidoo and Canter sat tied atop the leaderboard, so they played one hole, and Naidoo emerged victorious. But Canter’s solo second finish gave him enough Official World Golf Ranking Points (OWGR) to propel him into the top-50.

Any player within the top-50 of the OWGR receives an exemption into The Players Championship, opening the door for Canter to play.

Yet, he has never competed at TPC Sawgrass before. He played on LIV Golf throughout 2022 and 2023, but Anthony Kim replaced him in the league in early 2024. Canter made only two starts on LIV a year ago, tying for 15th at Mayakoba and 21st in Las Vegas.

He then returned to the DP World Tour, where he found success and won the European Open in Germany. Canter ultimately finished the 2024 season ranked 24th in the Race to Dubai standings, earning him a spot on the circuit in 2025.

The Englishman has made the most of his opportunity this year. He won in Bahrain and finished solo third at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic before his runner-up in South Africa.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.