DP World Tour pro reacts to Rory McIlroy's top secret PGA Tour info: 'I think it's good'

Joost Luiten has welcomed Rory McIlroy's latest insight into the future of PGA Tour cards via the DP World Tour, with the six-time winner believing a reduction to three or four places would be good news for the European circuit.

The Dutchman was speaking exclusively to GolfMagic ahead of this week's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where the future relationship between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour remains one of the biggest talking points in professional golf.

McIlroy last week suggested that just four DP World Tour players could earn PGA Tour cards for the new-look Championship Series when a major structural overhaul of the American circuit comes into effect in 2028.

And Luiten is firmly in favour of that prospect, believing fewer opportunities to move across the Atlantic could help Europe retain more of its leading players.

"I think it's good," Luiten told GolfMagic. "It means there will be less cards next year, and I think three or four cards will be a good number so that we don't lose all of our top players."

McIlroy offered his own prediction during the Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links last week, telling Today's Golfer that he expected the number of available cards for the PGA Tour's Championship Series to fall from the current allocation of 10. 

"I thought five was a nice number," McIlroy said. "I think it would probably be a little less than that. I'd say it'll probably be four. If I know what I'm talking about, which I usually do!

"I think the PGA Tour were sort of on three. European Tour were on five. I think they'll meet in the middle and I think it'll be four."

For Luiten, retaining more of Europe's best players has to be a priority as the DP World Tour approaches a crucial period in its relationship with the PGA Tour.

The current strategic alliance between the two circuits runs until the end of 2027, with a new agreement required ahead of the proposed changes in 2028.

"All I know about the alliance is that 2027 is the last year and we need to come to a new agreement for 2028," Luiten added.

"It will be very interesting to see how that deal is going to look."

DP World Tour faces crucial decision over PGA Tour cards

Under the current arrangement, the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai who do not already hold PGA Tour membership earn cards to compete on the American circuit.

However, the PGA Tour is preparing to introduce a radical new structure in 2028, featuring a top-level Championship Series for the world's leading players, alongside a lower-tier Challenger Series.

The prospect of fewer opportunities for DP World Tour members to graduate directly into the highest tier of American golf has raised some serious questions.

McIlroy has previously suggested that moving from the DP World Tour to the Challenger Series would effectively represent a lateral move rather than a significant promotion.

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Luiten, 40, is currently preparing for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, having secured his place in the 50-man field despite finishing just outside the top 50 in the Race to Dubai standings on the eve of the tournament. 

The six-time DP World Tour winner is ranked 56th, with withdrawals from Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Alex Fitzpatrick and Min Woo Lee allowing him to advance to Dubai.

Although Luiten is well outside the current top 10 in the Race to Dubai standings, victory at the DP World Tour Championship would secure him a PGA Tour card should he wish to accept one – giving the 40-year-old a potentially life-changing opportunity to play in the USA.

LIV Golf returns add another layer of uncertainty

The debate surrounding PGA Tour cards is just one of several major issues facing the DP World Tour at the moment. 

The potential return of former LIV Golf players in 2027 is another subject dividing opinion, particularly over how the European circuit will accommodate high-profile names without any category status.

Sergio Garcia, who spoke exclusively to GolfMagic last week, believes returning to the DP World Tour represents an opportunity to support a circuit facing considerable financial and competitive challenges. 

The 46-year-old Spaniard already holds category status, however, meaning the former LIV star is free to compete on the DP World Tour without any invites in 2027.

The same applies to the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who both made an immediate impact at last week's Abu Dhabi Championship, with Rahm claiming victory and Hatton finishing runner-up.

But what about those ex-LIV Golf stars without existing playing status?

The likes of Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Thomas Pieters, Louis Oosthuizen and Charles Howell III could all be looking for opportunities to compete in Europe next season, leaving the DP World Tour with some important decisions to make.

Does the circuit open its doors to as many big-name players as possible to strengthen tournament fields and attract greater interest, or does it prioritise its existing membership and the players working their way up through the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour?

Bryson DeChambeau has reportedly been offered the opportunity to play a full DP World Tour schedule in 2027, although the American has yet to decide where he will compete next season.

He has, however, released a statement following confirmation of LIV Golf's collapse. 

The financial pressures facing the DP World Tour make its next round of discussions with the PGA Tour particularly significant.

Although the European circuit posted a £3.3 million pre-tax profit in 2025, the headline figure was helped considerably by a £67.6 million accounting gain relating to its PGA Tour derivative.

Away from that adjustment, the underlying operating loss increased to £64.5 million, while television and media revenues dropped by 31 per cent to £75.3 million.

There is therefore plenty riding on what happens when the existing agreement expires at the end of 2027. 

The DP World Tour needs to find a way to remain attractive to its leading players, provide meaningful opportunities for those coming through the ranks and ensure its tournaments continue to attract the biggest names in the game.

How many PGA Tour cards will be available to European players in 2028 is just one part of that wider picture.

McIlroy may believe he knows where the final number will land, but Luiten and his fellow DP World Tour members will be waiting to discover exactly what the next agreement brings.