Former LIV Golf star Eugenio López-Chacarra has qualified for the PGA Championship. The 25-year-old was cut from the LIV Golf roster at the end of the 2024 season but has bounced back to play his way into the first major of his career at the PGA Championship.
Lopez-Chacarra Put LIV Disappointment Behind
López-Chacarra was left feeling disappointed after he was dumped by the breakaway league. Fireballs’ captain Sergio Garcia decided not to re-sign his fellow Spaniard. López-Chacarra was free to negotiate with the twelve other teams, but he failed to secure a contract with another franchise, ultimately bringing an end to his time on the roster.
The 25-year-old has since ventured over to the DP World Tour, putting in some impressive displays as he hit the best form of his career in 2025. The former Fireballs man’s form has ensured that he will feature in next month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. López-Chacarra finished second in the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing following the end of qualification at the Hainan Classic in China, where he finished tied for 11th place.
This represents an incredible achievement for the Spaniard, who caps off an impressive month where he won on the DP World Tour for the first time. The 25-year-old also won the prestigious Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club after ending the week on four-under-par and edging out Keita Nakajima by two shots.
The victory was just the third of Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra’s professional career. He also recorded wins on the LIV Golf Tour and the Asian Tour. Hence, the Spaniard is the only man to win a LIV Golf event who has since left the Saudi-backed league.
Lopez-Chacarra Unhappy With LIV Golf’s “Broken Promises”
LIV Golf dropped López-Chacarra at the end of last year in unceremonious fashion, and this upset the 25-year-old, who slammed LIV Golf and accused them of “broken promises.” He was also unhappy with the failure of LIV Golf to acquire accreditation from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
The Spaniard claimed that LIV Golf promised him Official World Golf Ranking points and majors when he joined the tour, but none of them have materialized to date. The 25-year-old also expressed his frustration as one of the first young players to join the Saudi-backed league, only to eventually drop out.
However, López-Chacarra admitted that he felt grateful for the opportunities LIV gave him and insisted that he would continue watching the league and supporting the Fireballs, even though he had to move on. The former Fireballs player said, “LIV already passed in my mind,” as he prepares for next month’s PGA Championship.
Main Photo Credit: © Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
