Dumped LIV golfer set for PGA Tour return

James Piot was one of golf’s rising stars when he jumped ship for LIV Golf. But since relegation from the league, it’s been a long road back…

The US Amateur champion tends to go on to have a successful professional career. Just ask Arnold Palmer, or Jack Nicklaus, or Tiger Woods, or Phil Mickelson.

Or, in more recent years, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau, or Viktor Hovland.

And when James Piot defeated Austin Greaser at Oakmont in 2021, big things were expected of the Michigan State student.

But he missed the cut in his first six events on the PGA Tour – including his major debuts at the Masters and US Open. Then LIV Golf came calling. And when the upstart league offered him the opportunity to compete for $25 million every few weeks with the guarantee of ending every tournament with a huge check, he couldn’t possibly say no.

But Piot struggled at first. Of the eight LIV events in the inaugural season, he finished inside the top-20 just once – a tie for 6th in Bangkok. The Niblicks – now Cleeks – captain Martin Kaymer had seen enough.

Piot’s second season was even worse. Now a member of Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers, he finished under-par at just four of the 13 individual events and – a 22nd at Greenbrier and 25th at Bedminster aside – his best finish was 32nd. He finished half of the events in the 40s and, as a result, found himself in the relegation zone. He was not retained.

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Since then, Piot has made a handful of appearance on the Asian Tour – LIV’s rules say players cannot play PGA Tour events for a year from their last round on the Saudi circuit – and undergone shoulder surgery.

In April, he played in the Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he missed the cut by a single shot, and the next phase of his PGA Tour return was to try his luck in the Monday Qualifier for the Rocket Classic in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

In fact, Piot was even in the parking lot and pulling his bag from the trunk of his car when his phone rang.

On the other end was Mark Hollis, part of the tournament’s leadership team, extending an invite to tee up in the real thing.

“For it to actually happen is the coolest thing in the world,” Piot told The Detroit News. “It’s awesome. Just the fact I finally get to play in the Rocket Classic, it’s a dream come true.

“Ever since the event was created on the schedule, I wanted to be a part of it.”

As for his game, Piot is quietly confident.

“It’s feeling good,” he added. “It’s really trending the right way. And to be able to play in my home area is even cooler.”

Maybe, three years later than planned, this is the start of something big for Piot.