2026 New Player Analysis: Laurie Canter

Majesticks GC is making a significant acquisition, signing English star Laurie Canter to a contract as the Englishman returns to LIV Golf on a full-time basis. The move comes a few weeks after Canter officially earned his full PGA Tour card for 2026 via the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai standings, highlighting his strong season in 2025. With Canter replacing the relegated Henrik Stenson, the Majesticks will now have four English players on the roster.

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PLAYER BIO

Age: 36

Nationality: English

Data Golf Ranking: 136th

OWGR: 61st

Career Wins: 3 (Two DP World Tour Wins: 2024 European Open, 2025 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. One win on the Jamega Pro Golf Tour: 2015 The Players Club).

Career Highlights: He is a two-time DP World Tour winner, with both victories coming in the 2024-2025 season. He finished inside the top 10 on the 2025 DP World Tour Race to Dubai, earning a PGA Tour card for 2026.

Best Major Finish: T17 at the 2023 Open Championship.

2025 Results: Six top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour, including a win at the Bahrain Championship, a 2nd place at the Investec South African Open, and a 3rd place at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Major Eligibility in 2026: By finishing in the Top 10 of the Race to Dubai, Canter secured an exemption into the 2026 PGA Championship. He will rely on his final year-end 2025 OWGR position (currently 61st) for the other majors.

LIV GOLF EXPERIENCE

Canter was a member of Majesticks GC for the inaugural LIV Golf tournament in London in 2022. He has 21 career appearances on LIV Golf, most recently in the first two events in 2024 as a Wild Card player.

2022: Started two tournaments for Majesticks GC, then played the last six tournaments as a member of Cleeks Golf Club.
2023: Started the first three tournaments for the Cleeks as a reserve, then made eight appearances for Majesticks GC as a replacement for injured Sam Horsfield.
2024: Started the first two tournaments as a Wild Card player.

2025 DP WORLD TOUR RANKS

Scoring Average: 70.91 (67th)

Driving Distance: 305.3 yards (36th)

Driving Accuracy: 57.50% (103rd)

Greens in Regulation: 71.73% (14th)

Birdie Average (per tournament): 3.80 (51st)

Scrambling: 57.51% (63rd)

Strokes Gained: Approach: +0.29 (56th)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee: +0.61 (11th)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green: -0.01 (99th)

Strokes Gained: Putting: -0.05 (110th)

STATISTICAL PROFILE

Canter's game is defined by his power off the tee and is an overall very reliable driver of the golf ball. The Englishman has the ability to finish in the top 10 on LIV Golf’s current roster in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Canter is a field-average iron player but excels in hitting greens in regulation due to his driving prowess. He is a hot-and-cold putter who more often than not will lose strokes to the field both around and on the greens.

Statistical lookalike: Harold Varner III

INTERESTING FACTS

• He has nine top-20 finishes on LIV Golf. His best finish was a T8 at LIV Golf Chicago in 2022.
• He is the first former LIV Golf player to successfully earn a PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour's season-ending Race to Dubai standings for the 2026 season.
• In March 2025, Canter became the first former LIV Golf player to compete in a full-field PGA Tour event (non-major/co-sanctioned), teeing it up at The Players Championship after cracking the OWGR top 50
• Canter is a successful amateur, having won both the South African Amateur Championship (2010) and the Spanish International Amateur Championship (2011).
• He holds the record of qualifying for the DP World Tour through Q-School four separate times (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).
• He didn't pick up a golf club until age 13.
• He had two singles matches wins in the 2022 Team Championship for Cleeks GC, including a 2&1 win over Patrick Reed of 4Aces GC in the Semifinals.
• His best Major finish, T17 at the 2023 Open Championship, came after his first stint with LIV Golf.
• Before turning professional, he qualified for and played in The Open Championship as an amateur in 2010 at St Andrews.
• He is a father of two who enjoys Bath Rugby matches, wine and coffee.

BOTTOM LINE

Laurie Canter is a strong signing for Majesticks GC, who desperately needed some reinforcements after a season that failed to produce a single podium finish. The team had very little individual success either, as all four Majesticks GC players finished 39th or worse in the individual standings. Canter makes the team younger, gives them a player who is still in the prime of his career and completes the team as fully British.