Former LIV Golf star will tee up in PGA Tour event thanks to exemption.

James Piot was a founding member of LIV Golf, but he faded into obscurity since losing his spot on the breakaway circuit in 2023, but he has been handed a chance on the PGA Tour this week.

Former LIV Golf member James Piot will become the latest player to return to the PGA Tour after playing on the breakaway league.

The 2021 U.S. Amateur champion joined LIV as a founding member the following year and played in 19 events as a member of Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers team before being released at the end of the 2023 season.

Since then, Piot has predominantly plied his trade on the Asian Tour, but will make his PGA Tour return this week at the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. The 26-year-old is a Michigan native and played collegiate golf at Michigan State, and he has received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the tournament, which tees off on Thursday.

Piot told The Detroit News he intended to enter the Monday qualifier for the tournament until he received his late invitation from the tournament sponsors. He added: “For it to actually happen is the coolest thing in the world. 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.”

LIV Golf players are banned from playing on the PGA Tour, and if players leave the breakaway league, they are required to fulfill a 12-month suspension before they are allowed to compete on the PGA Tour.

Piot, who played in the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational as an amateur, follows in the footsteps of Laurie Canter, a fellow founding member of LIV, who became the first player to compete in a PGA Tour event after leaving the rebel circuit. The Englishman teed it up in The Players in March and competed in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a month later.

Piot played as a member of Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs team during LIV’s inaugural campaign and finished 36th in the standings. However, the following season was a struggle.

A move to the HyFlyers did not pay off as Piot failed to record a single top-20 finish, ending the season in 47th place in the standings. That left him in the open zone, and his contract with the league was not renewed.

Piot’s addition to the field followed a number of withdrawals on Monday, with Charlie Hoffman, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Eric Cole among the players to pull out.

Joe Hooks, a Michigan native and golf content creator chasing a pro career, has received a second sponsor’s exemption. He just missed out on qualifying for last month’s Myrtle Beach Classic through a YouTube event.

This week’s tournament in Detroit features some big names like Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, and Tony Finau. Morikawa is the only player from the world’s top 10 competing.

Meanwhile, stars like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele are skipping this week to focus on getting ready for the Open Championship. Their next appearance will be at the Scottish Open on July 10.