LIV golfers must 'eat humble pie' to return to DP World Tour, says Faldo

Sir Nick Faldo believes golfers who joined the LIV tour and now wish to return to the DP World Tour might have to "eat a bit of humble pie." He suggests they may need to re-earn their place, potentially through tour school, rather than expecting immediate re-entry.

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How do they actually give them a route back? ... Go back to tour school.

Faldo, promoting the Belfry tournament, commented on the future of LIV, noting that "more players wanting to leave LIV than want to stay," indicating potential instability for the breakaway tour. He questioned the route back for these players, stating, "How do they actually give them a route back? ... Go back to tour school."

Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, and Adrian Meronk are among those competing in the Husqvarna British Masters, having accepted a deal allowing them to play both tours without sanction this year. Hatton's choice of "I Want to Break Free" as his walk-on music was seen as a clear signal of his desire to leave LIV. While players like Jon Rahm have exemptions that could facilitate a return, Faldo insists the process shouldn't be overly simple for others.

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You know, given the way they've disrupted - go and start again. Go back to tour school. Hey, you might have to eat a bit of humble pie and say, well, I want to be a proper golfer again, and so I've got to start back where I'm meant to be and I'll work my way up the good old way with my skills and my scoring.

The DP World Tour's tournament committee met to discuss the matter, facing a complex decision. Unlike the PGA Tour's blanket bans, the European circuit is exploring a more nuanced approach. They aim to retain top talent while ensuring fairness for members who remained loyal. A senior tour source described it as a "difficult jigsaw to piece together."

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It is a difficult jigsaw to piece together and we have to work out how to treat these players should they want to leave LIV and rejoin.

Faldo acknowledged that players like Rahm might retain exemptions for major championships. However, he emphasized the disruption LIV caused to the sport. "We all had to do the good old Monday qualifying back in the day, 50 blooming years ago," he recalled, suggesting a return to traditional pathways for many LIV defectors.

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We all had to do the good old Monday qualifying back in the day, 50 blooming years ago.