Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra was cut from the LIV Golf roster following the end of the 2024 season, but the Spanish star has come into his own whilst playing on the DP World Tour
10:28 ET, 27 Apr 2025Updated 10:28 ET, 27 Apr 2025
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra is heading to the PGA Championship(Image: Getty Images)
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra has played his way into the first major of his career at the PGA Championship, just months after being dropped by LIV Golf.
Lopez-Chacarra left the LIV setup at the end of the 2024 season, after Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia opted not to re-sign his countryman. Free to negotiate with the other 12 teams, Lopez-Chacarra failed to secure a contract with another franchise, meaning his time on the roster was up.
Since then, he has ventured over to the DP World Tour, and the former Fireballs man has not looked back since, having found some of his best golf of his career in 2025.
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The former college star’s form has ensured he will play in next month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, after finishing second in the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing following the end of qualification at the Hainan Classic in China, where he finished in a tie for 11th.
Kaita Nakijima topped the mini swing to book his PGA spot, whilst Sunday’s winner in China, Marco Penge, also did enough to secure his place at the major. For Lopez-Chacarra, it tops off an incredible few weeks, which saw him win on the DP World Tour for the first time last month.
Taking on the testing DLF Golf and Country Club, the 25-year-old won the prestigious Indian Open, ending the week on four-under-par and edging out Nakajima by two shots. It was the youngster’s third professional victory, having won on the LIV setup and the Asian Tour.
Eugenio Chacarra is the only man to win a LIV Golf event who has since left the breakaway league(Image: Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Having been dropped by LIV at the end of last year, it seemingly left Lopez-Chacarra at a crossroads, but with his first major start now in the bank, it will now be a move he regrets. When departing the breakaway league, it is fair to say the youngster did not go quietly.
The Spaniard accused the league of “broken promises”, unhappy with LIV’s failure to acquire accreditation from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). “When I joined LIV, they promised OWGR and majors,” Chacarra said in January. “But it didn’t happen.
“I trusted them. I was the first young guy, then the others came after I made the decision. But OWGR and majors still hasn’t happened. I saw you last year when they pulled the bid. It’s frustrating, but I’m excited for the new opportunity and to see where my game takes me.”
He did however admit he was grateful for the opportunities LIV presented him, telling Flushing It in India: “Like I always said, I am very, very, very thankful for LIV. I am a LIV Golf fan. I’m going to keep watching LIV and I’m going to keep supporting the Fireballs. I am very thankful for what Sergio (Garcia) and the Fireballs did for me the last three years, but I think it was time for me to move on and I think it’s already passed in my mind.”
