LIV Golf star admits DP World Tour has 'ruffled some feathers' with fresh 2027 decision

Victor Perez has admitted the DP World Tour's position on LIV Golf's proposed 2027 plans has 'ruffled some feathers', with the Frenchman among those still weighing up what comes next.

The three-time DP World Tour winner, who joined Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC at the start of the 2026 season, is yet to commit to LIV Golf's next chapter as uncertainty continues to surround the breakaway league.

Speaking to Today's Golfer ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, Perez suggested the DP World Tour's stance on players signing up to LIV Golf for 2027 had brought matters to a head.

The DP World Tour's position on membership has effectively forced players to confront a decision that many might otherwise have preferred to put off.

Rather than keeping their options open, those considering LIV Golf now face the prospect of having to choose between the breakaway league and their DP World Tour status.

While the story may have read differently this season, all players on LIV 2.0 in 2027 will become ineligible to compete on the DP World Tour. 

Perez admitted the situation had 'ruffled some feathers' and prompted players to think about their futures earlier than expected.

"The potential ban for the LIV players in 2027, I think has definitely ruffled some feathers and made a lot of the guys make early decisions," Perez told Today's Golfer.

The Frenchman also acknowledged just how important the DP World Tour is to him personally, having spent much of his professional career competing on the circuit.

"I've played the Challenge Tour, I've played DP World since 2019, played a couple years in America in the middle. This has been the tour that I've grown up playing and watching," he explained.

Perez is now taking legal advice before making a decision and insists he is in no rush to commit to either side, with contracts, negotiations and the precise terms still needing to be considered.

"I still want to be informed with everything and know that everything has been reviewed by lawyers and the whole lot and make the best educated decision," he told Ben Parsons of Today's Golfer. .

"I'm not a person to be emotional and quick to the answer. I just want to make sure everything has been triple checked and looked after and then make the best educated decision once all the info."

The uncertainty has been compounded by the departures of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, with Perez admitting that losing two players of their calibre would be a 'massive blow' to LIV Golf's competitive strength.

"With Jon [Rahm] leaving and Tyrrell [Hatton] leaving, they're obviously two huge names that were like top five players for the last few years on LIV, so obviously from a competitive standpoint, it's a massive blow for LIV," said Perez. 

While LIV Golf still boasts several high-profile players, none bigger than two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau, Perez acknowledged that the overall standard of competition remains an important factor when considering his future.

He pointed to Dustin Johnson, DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann as players who could continue to provide a strong competitive environment.

"They're still world-class players," he said. 

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Perez was also refreshingly honest about his own standing in the game, admitting he is not yet among the very best players in the world.

"I'm unfortunately not one of the elite top, top players. I would say I'm a strong player, but I'm not in the elite level yet," he said.

"So you want to make sure you have enough of those guys to play against week in and week out to level your game and see where you are."

Perez has enjoyed considerable financial success since joining LIV Golf, earning close to $3.5 million across 11 starts and recording two runner-up finishes in Europe.

However, the financial rewards are only one part of the equation. The opportunity to continue playing on the DP World Tour is another major consideration, particularly with the potential prize of a debut Ryder Cup appearance at Adare Manor in September 2027.

Of course, Perez would first need to produce the performances to put himself in contention for a place in Luke Donald's European team, but remaining eligible for the DP World Tour could help keep that ambition alive.

The 2023 Abu Dhabi Championship winner is currently 53rd in the Race to Dubai standings and is fully focused on finishing his season strongly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this month.

Perez confirmed that he wants to concentrate on the two DP World Tour playoff events before making a final decision, although he admits the wider situation remains difficult to predict.

"There's just the lawsuit going on and obviously people committing and a lot of people still being quite undecided," he explained.

"It's hard to know what the future of either tour will look like and similar for DP World."

He also suggested that some players could still be hoping for a route back to the PGA Tour, although he acknowledged that a deal for returning LIV golfers currently appears unlikely.

"If there's one thing we learned is that deals can be made really late and then people can get quite late exemptions," Perez said.

"It's an overall fluid situation where people are coming and going and making phone calls."

Whether that ultimately leads to a return to the DP World Tour or another season with LIV Golf remains unclear.

With the league's 2027 plans still taking shape, Perez is in no rush to make a decision.

While he may not be one of LIV Golf's biggest names, his eventual choice will offer another insight into how players are assessing the league's future.

And with so much uncertainty still surrounding the professional game, Perez could not resist one final observation about the situation.

"There's never been a better time to be a golf journalist!"