Former LIV Golfer Henrik Stenson Applies To Make DP World Tour Return In 2026

Henrik Stenson has applied for membership of the DP World Tour.

The DP World Tour confirmed the news to Golf Monthly, as well as revealing that he has paid all his outstanding fines due to it for playing in LIV Golf touraments without conflicting event releases.

The Swede has made the move following relegation from the big-money circuit at the end of the 2025 season, where he was overtaken by Ian Poulter deep into the final individual event of the season, LIV Golf Indianapolis, which saw him finish in the Drop Zone by 0.38 points.

Stenson, who had been a co-captain of the Majesticks GC team along with Poulter and Lee Westwood, finished 49th in the Individual Championship, marking the end of his three-year career with LIV Golf that included one win, at Bedminster in 2022.

When Stenson, who also has equity in Majesticks GC, joined LIV Golf, it was particularly controversial because he had been named the Team Europe Ryder Cup captain for the 2023 edition at Marco Simone. However, shortly after the move, he was stripped of the captaincy, with the honor going to Luke Donald instead.

Since embarking on his LIV Golf career, Stenson has played in just two DP World Tour events, the January 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic the following week, where he placed T8.

Stenson resigned from the DP World Tour in May 2023, a week after Poulter, Westwood, Richard Bland and Sergio Garcia also quit in the aftermath of the DP World Tour's win in a Sports Resolutions arbitration panel hearing, which deemed it had the right to sanction and fine its members for playing in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting event releases.

Since then, Stenson has only played in world ranking events sporadically, on either the Asian Tour or at The Open, where he remains eligible to play thanks to his victory at the Major nine years ago.

As a result, he is now ranked 1165th in the world and will be hoping to rectify that situation from 2026, once a suspension has been served. When he does resume his DP World Tour career, he will make his 395th appearance on the circuit, where he will look to build on the 11 titles he won on it between 2001 and 2016.

Even though Stenson intends to rejoin the DP World Tour, there remains a possibility he could attempt to revive his LIV Golf career. He still has the opportunity to try and earn a card via the LIV Golf Promotions event, which will be held in Florida in January.

However, it has not been confirmed whether that is an avenue he intends to pursue.