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Akshay Bhatia looks on from the first tee during the first round of the TOUR Championship 2025 at East Lake Golf Club on August 21, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ahead of the start of LIV Golf’s 2026 season, Golf Channel reporter Rex Hoggard revealed that a two-time PGA Tour winner has declined a lucrative offer from the Saudi-backed league.
According to multiple reports, Akshay Bhatia is the latest PGA Tour player to turn down a deal with LIV Golf. Meanwhile, LIV has reportedly added two other PGA Tour players to their roster, Thomas Detry and Elvis Smylie. While there were rumors linking Si Woo Kim to the league, those were later confirmed to be false.
LIV Golf’s offseason has been active, featuring both departures and additions. Notably, Brooks Koepka exited the league, while new signings have expanded their roster. LIV Golf has also announced a changes to its format, moving individual competitions from its traditional 54-hole structure to 72 holes across four rounds.
Akshay Bhatia
LIV Golf has struggled in recent years to attract high-profile players. The league’s most significant signing remains Jon Rahm, who joined in 2023 while ranked World No. 3. Since then, LIV has not landed a player of similar status.
Signing Bhatia would have been a meaningful win for LIV Golf. Currently ranked World No. 46, Bhatia has gained popularity among fans for his aggressive style of play and humble demeanor. His decision to remain on the PGA Tour marks another setback for LIV’s efforts to secure higher-profile names.
Bhatia recently finished 14th at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Following the tournament, he stayed on the islands to marry his fiancee, Presleigh Schultz, at the Abaco Club.
Tragically, on the day of their wedding, the Bhatia family lost a beloved family member, Akshay’s niece Mia. Despite the loss, the couple proceeded with the ceremony, showing resilience and unity during an incredibly difficult moment.
Liv Golf Changes
In addition to Detry and Smylie, LIV Golf has also signed Victor Perez and Laurie Canter in recent months. Canter earned his PGA Tour card in December of 2025 thanks to his performance on the DP World Tour. He is currently ranked World No. 59.
Exclusive: Thomas Detry and Elvis Smylie are both set to join LIV Golf. Detry, the world No57, won the WM Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour last year.
Perez left the PGA due to multiple reasons, including instability within the tour. The Frenchman, currently ranked World No. 135, explained his choice in a recent statement:
“Five years ago, when I was starting out, if somebody had said that one day I would send an email to resign my PGA Tour membership, I would have not believed it,” he said. “But it is what it is. With where I am at in my career at the moment, I realized the PGA Tour wasn’t what was best for me and my family.
“It wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I tried to speak to an array of people besides just the players. If I gave you the whole list, it would take a while, but there’s definitely been a lot of people that I’ve spoken to who’ve given different kinds of perspectives,” he added.
Detry enters LIV following a win at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open. He is currently ranked World No. 57. Smylie, ranked World No. 127, captured the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship.
LIV Golf’s 2026 season begins February 4–7 in Saudi Arabia.
Sydney Jones Sydney Jones is a sports writer covering all things Golf, Mariners, and Seahawks for Heavy.com. She has experience covering the intersection of sports and human interest stories for multiple publications. Originally from Montana, she recently relocated to Seattle and is enjoying the new experience of being surrounding by live professional sports and rooting for a common team while writing about them. More about Sydney Jones
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