Laurie Canter’s LIV Golf return hands DP World Tour pro surprise PGA Tour card

England’s Dan Brown has earned a shock – but thoroughly deserved – PGA Tour card for 2026 after compatriot Laurie Canter declined his own card in order to return to LIV Golf. 

It’s a remarkable twist of fortune for Brown, who has enjoyed the best season of his career and now finds himself bound for the biggest stage in world golf.

Just a month ago, Brown, 31, was the hard-luck story on the bubble. 

A total of 10 DP World Tour players had secured 2026 PGA Tour cards via the season-long rankings, and Brown sat agonisingly in 11th among those eligible – the first man out. 

But that changed this week when the PGA Tour confirmed that Canter, who had finished inside the top 10, had “declined” his membership. 

With Canter opting instead to rejoin the LIV Golf League, Brown was immediately promoted into the final qualifying spot.

The move comes after Canter signed with Majesticks GC, the team he had represented multiple times between 2022 and 2024. 

The Majesticks line-up already features English stalwarts Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and rising star Sam Horsfield. 

Henrik Stenson had previously been part of the team before his relegation last season; the Swede has since rejoined the DP World Tour, three years after losing the European Ryder Cup captaincy – a role that ultimately passed to Luke Donald, who led Europe to back-to-back victories at Marco Simone in 2023 and Bethpage in 2025.

Announcing his return to LIV, Canter spoke warmly about the Majesticks setup. “Joining Majesticks GC is an incredible opportunity to be part of a team that has helped shape LIV Golf from day one,” he said in a press release. 

“The league’s growth has been remarkable and my experience in the league has led me to become a more complete player and a multiple winner on the DP World Tour. To return to the league with Majesticks GC is a huge honour… I can’t wait to get started and contribute to what this team is building.”

Canter had spent 2024 back on the DP World Tour in an effort to regain his footing but has now chosen to return to the Saudi-backed breakaway league for 2026. 

And while his departure is a major coup for LIV, it is an even bigger moment for Dan Brown.

Few players have shown the level of consistency Brown has produced this season. 

The Englishman posted six top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour and claimed an emotional second career title at July’s BMW International Open. 

That win, dedicated to a close friend who had passed away the week before, became one of the most touching moments of the year. 

Brown also finished runner-up at the Open de España and added top-10 results at both the Betfred British Masters and the Amgen Irish Open.

World No. 75, Brown has become one of the Tour’s most compelling stories, following on from his breakout performance at the 2024 Open where he entered the final round in a six-way tie for second before finishing in a memorable tied 10th. 

Those days at Royal Troon also introduced fans to Brown’s everyman charm: the pig-farming family background, the Ping reps cheering him on, his lifelong love for the Open – and even his now-famous mid-round cigarette and selfie on the 18th tee during the third round.

This week, Brown took to Instagram to confirm the news himself, sharing a series of posts celebrating his move up to 10th in the DP World Tour standings and the life-changing PGA Tour card that came with it.

A dream update, and one he has earned every bit as much as he has welcomed.

After years of hard graft and a career-best season filled with grit, emotion and genuine world-class performances, Brown finally knows his next destination: the PGA Tour in 2026. 

A stroke of fortune may have opened the door – but his golf this year is what made him deserving of walking straight through it.