The European tour has delivered an ultimatum to players contemplating the new version of LIV Golf, saying anyone who joins will not be allowed to be European tour members.

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“Players need to make a choice,” Guy Kinnings, CEO of the European tour, said in a statement Monday first reported by the BBC.

The DP World Tour, as it is commercially known, previously let LIV players to keep their European membership as long as they paid fines for playing LIV events that conflicted with the tour.

It extended an olive branch earlier this year to nine players, allowing them to play LIV events without sanctions provided they settled all previous fines and agreed to add European tour events to their 2026 schedules.

Kinnings delivered a far stronger message — us or them — as LIV is trying to emerge from bankruptcy stemming from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund cutting off the financial support. LIV has spent more than $5 billion since its launch in 2022.

LIV has the backing of up to $300 million from BC Partners as it leans into a 10-tournament season with a focus on team competition and players owning equity in LIV 2.0. Players have until Oct. 25 to decide whether to stick with LIV, which could determine whether the beleaguered circuit can move forward out of bankruptcy.

The European tour, however, is requiring anyone seeking to join to disclose where they intend to play in 2027. The tour said it would terminate membership if the disclosures prove false.

“As we have said for many years, we have rules and regulations which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by,” Kinnings said. "Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour.”

Players must be European tour members to compete in the Ryder Cup next September, adding pressure to the likes of Tyrrell Hatton of England, Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland, Adrian Meronk of Poland and Thomas Detry of Belgium.

An attorney for Jon Rahm said last week in a bankruptcy hearing for LIV that the former No. 1 wanted to terminate his LIV contract. The question for Rahm, a two-time major champion, is how he works his way back to the PGA Tour.

Sergio Garcia also asked to end his LIV contract, and David Puig of Spain has indicated he is ready to take on a European tour schedule.

The European tour is negotiating a renewed alliance with the PGA Tour, which involves commercial opportunities and a path for the leading 10 players on the Race to Dubai to get PGA Tour cards.

Patrick Reed and Eugenio Chacarra, who both previously played for LIV Golf, are a lock to earn PGA Tour cards this year off the European tour points list. Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, another player who signed early with LIV, also has a chance at a tour card.

The plan of LIV 2.0 is to have such a streamlined schedule to allow players to compete elsewhere. But the PGA Tour bans LIV players for at least one year dating to their last LIV appearance, and now the European tour is demanding them to pick a tour.

Scott O'Neil, who took over as LIV CEO when Greg Norman left, has been preaching the phrase, “Complete, not compete,” as he sees the new version of his league — without Saudi funding to offer as much as nine-figure signing bonuses — to be complementary to other golf tours.

“We shouldn’t live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere,” O'Neil said in August when laying the groundwork for LIV Golf 2.0. “Our goal isn’t to replace or restrict any tour. Our mission is to bring something distinctive to the ecosystem that elevates it and makes the whole game better.”

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Ben Johnson must own Bears’ brutal Tyson Bagent misfire that proves Caleb Williams haters wrong appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Chicago Bears suffered one of their most embarrassing losses of the Ben Johnson era on Sunday. Chicago got hammered by Green Bay in a 31-7 beatdown that never felt close. It is a brutal loss to a hated NFC North opponent, and one of the most puzzling offensive performances by the Bears under Johnson’s leadership.

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A big part of the problem was the poor play of Tyson Bagent. He finished the game 12-of-21 for 87 yards and two interceptions. Chicago ended up benching Bagent for Keenum, who has looked solid recently as a bridge starter.

Fortunately, Caleb Williams should be back next week which should improve a lot. But now the Bears need to reevaluate their backup quarterback position after gaining more information over the past few weeks.

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Perhaps more importantly, Chicago needs to own their miscalculation of Bagent’s talent after Sunday’s dreadful loss to Green Bay.

Ben Johnson, Bears put too much faith in Tyson Bagent before 2026 season

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The Bears have always been pretty high on Bagent. But that opinion needs to be readjusted after seeing him struggle as a starter this season.

Chicago gave Bagent a two-year, $10 million contract before the 2025 season to officially become the team’s backup of the future. Chicago’s front office decided to pay Bagent a healthy contract despite receiving trade interest in the young quarterback.

Those actions alone show their faith in Bagent. But Johnson came right out and said it this offseason.

Johnson claimed that Bagent is “probably one of the best 32 [quarterbacks] in the NFL” during the Combine back in February.

“I do think there’s a merit to having a strong No. 2 quarterback,  which he certainly fits that bill,” Johnson said, per Gene Chamberlain of Bears on SI. “I’m of the mind the mindset he’s probably one of the best 32 (QBs) in the NFL. His preseason tape over the past few years has probably confirmed that in my opinion. But if I took myself out of the equation, I want what’s best for him. If he would like an opportunity to start I certainly hope he can get that somewhere.”

Bagent has flashed some nice potential in the past. However, this level of praise is clearly a bit off knowing what we know now after Week 5.

Chicago should have kept Case Keenum as their starter after solid stretch

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At this point, Keenum looks like the much more reliable backup option in Chicago.

Keenum played incredibly well in Chicago’s 27-7 win over Philadelphia back in September. He went 24-of-34 for 247 passing yards with two touchdowns. The veteran quarterback did not do anything flashy, but kept the offense moving with respectable efficiency.

He also looked like the better quarterback in Week 5, going 11-of-19 for 108 passing yards and an interception in relief of Bagent.

Johnson explained that Bagent’s second interception forced him to hand the reins over to Keenum.

“We felt like we just wanted a little spark there,” Johnson said after the game. “Tyson just could never feel like he got in a rhythm here today, and so we’ll look at why that was the case. The second interception happened, and we just felt like let’s give Case a chance out there and see if we get different results.”

Obviously it is too late now for Chicago to start Keenum instead of Bagent. That said, the Bears should consider making Keenum their QB2 for the rest of the season. If anything else happens to Williams, Keenum has proven that he can be relied upon. Bagent has not.

The Bears can always go back to Bagent in case of emergency. But Keenum clearly is the better backup option for the rest of an important 2026 season for Chicago.

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