He was once one of LIV Golf’s youngest investments; a recent U.S. Amateur champion lured by guaranteed starts, a lucrative contract, and the mentorship of major winners. But just 20 months after joining the breakaway league, he was cut loose. Relegated. Forgotten.
For the last year, he floated outside of elite competition, no longer part of the LIV roster and ineligible to return to the PGA Tour until the one-year mark hit. This week, that mark arrived. And now, at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, he’ll tee it up again—not because of ranking points or a qualifying run, but thanks to a sponsor’s exemption.
James Piot, 26, is officially back on the PGA Tour, and making headlines as the first former LIV player to receive a PGA Tour sponsor invite since the league’s formation in 2022. It’s a milestone return for the Michigan native, whose early rise was marked by three missed cuts in his first PGA Tour starts in 2022, followed by a leap into LIV Golf as one of the inaugural young signings. After a solid rookie LIV season in 2022, Piot’s sophomore year didn’t hold up. Playing for Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC in 2023, he ended the year 57th in the individual standings, failing to finish inside the top 20 in any of the league’s 13 events. By October, his run was over. His final round came on October 15, 2023, in Jeddah, marking the start of a one-year wait before he could even attempt a return to PGA Tour-sanctioned competition.
#NEW — James Piot has been added to the field at The Rocket Mortgage Classic on an unrestricted sponsors exemption. The move is significant as he completed a 2-year stint with LIV Golf, before being relegated at the end of 2023. Piot is a Michigan native. pic.twitter.com/189HbJBfnf
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 23, 2025
Still, Piot’s comments about his captain in that final stretch were surprisingly warm. “Phil was great to me last year, anything that I had a question about he was always happy to help and give me advice,” Piot said in November 2023, a month after his relegation. “Even when I was sitting there hitting balls he was like, ‘Hey, man, have you ever thought about this?’” That season, Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC featured Piot, Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale, and Mickelson himself. Though the team struggled to keep pace with top contenders like 4Aces GC and Torque GC, Mickelson’s influence was evident. Piot credited the six-time major winner for going “over and beyond” what he expected from a captain.
Despite the fallout, with no re-signing or any spot on the LIV reserve list, Piot’s respect for Mickelson never publicly wavered. “Obviously LIV is world class,” he added at the time. “No one treats you better than the LIV Golf League.” Today, Piot finds himself far from team golf, yet back on the stage he once left. His return to Detroit, where he first picked up the game, marks a new chapter, and perhaps a proving ground. The Rocket Classic starts Thursday. Piot will be there. His reappearance on a PGA Tour tee sheet is the culmination of a long, uncertain journey that began the moment his time with LIV quietly came to an end. Let’s rewind to see how Piot navigated the winding path between relegation and redemption.
Between two tours: Piot’s grueling road back
After being relegated from LIV Golf in October 2023, James Piot found himself in professional limbo. His final round as a HyFlyers GC member marked the end of a high-stakes chapter, and with it, the beginning of a challenging year-long climb back toward relevance. Piot initially sought redemption on the Asian Tour, entering the International Series in early 2024. While he showed flashes of form, including a T27 finish in Oman, a nagging shoulder issue soon became unavoidable. Diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, labrum, and bicep tendon, Piot underwent surgery and spent much of 2024 in physical therapy, sidelined from meaningful competition.
By early 2025, Piot reemerged on the Korn Ferry Tour. At the LECOM Suncoast Classic, he carded a promising 70-68 start but missed the cut by one. Though the result was frustrating, it validated his physical recovery and hinted at readiness for a larger stage. With his one-year LIV ineligibility expiring in October 2024, Piot finally became PGA Tour-eligible. On June 23, 2025, he received a sponsor’s exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the first former LIV player to earn such an invitation. It was more than a start. It was a long-awaited second chance.
The post PGA Tour’s New Recruit Spoke Highly of Phil Mickelson Despite His LIV Golf Fallout appeared first on EssentiallySports.