US EditionPerez Ends PGA Bid, Becomes France's First in LIV Golf
Victor Perez replaces Frederik Kjettrup on Cleeks GC after Kjettrup's relegation; Perez ranked 122nd in world golf and withdrew from RSM Classic prior to signing.
- Victor Perez, the French golfer, will join LIV Golf's Cleeks GC for the 2026 season, the league announced Tuesday as the first player this year to leave the PGA Tour for Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
- Facing ranking pressure, Victor Perez was 122nd in the Official World Golf Ranking and 108th in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, and he withdrew from the RSM Classic on Tuesday.
- Perez, 33, has three DP World Tour wins, including the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship; he played for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the Cleeks roster includes Richard Bland, Adrian Meronk, and captain Martin Kaymer, two-time major winner.
- He replaces Frederik Kjettrup, who was relegated after not finishing among the top 48 players in 2025, and LIV will fill other openings via signings, the PIF Saudi International, and a Promotions event in January.
- With the Cleeks struggling, Martin Kaymer said `There's been tremendous interest in joining Cleeks Golf Club, and we're thrilled to welcome Victor as the final piece of our roster,` and Perez made a recent appearance at the U.S. Open at Oakmont on June 14, 2025.
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Perez ends PGA bid, becomes France's first in LIV Golf
Victor Perez became the first French player to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League on Tuesday after withdrawing from the final US PGA Tour event of the fall campaign.
Associated Press News
Victor Perez of France leaves PGA Tour for LIV Golf
Victor Perez is the first player this year to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. The Saudi-funded league has announced the 33-year-old from France will be joining the Cleeks team for 2026.
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Not yet certain to be able to keep his card in the PGA Tour, where he has been operating since 2024, Victor Perez has decided for his future. Indeed, as announced on Tuesday on social networks, the Frenchman will join the LIV Golf from 2026. As he struggled at the end of the year to be among the top 100 on the American circuit, the native of Tarbes (33 years old) will join the dissident circuit financed by Saudi Arabia and will play for the Clee…
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