The ex-LIV player gets his PGA Tour shot in the most perfect place possible – home.

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

Picture this: you’re 22 years old, fresh off winning the biggest amateur tournament in golf, and you can’t buy a made cut on the PGA Tour. Three starts, three missed weekends, and suddenly that college dorm room is looking pretty appealing again. That’s exactly where James Piot found himself in spring 2022, driving home from another disappointing showing at Harbour Town.

Then his phone rang.

LIV Golf was calling, and they weren’t just offering him a chance to play – they were offering him guaranteed money, guaranteed starts, and a spot alongside veterans who could show him the ropes. For a kid who’d just watched his professional dreams take a beating at Bay Hill, Augusta, and Hilton Head, it felt like a lifeline.

When Dreams Meet Reality

Piot didn’t hesitate. Who would? The Michigan State grad had gone from hometown hero to struggling pro in the span of a few months. His U.S. Amateur title had earned him those golden tickets to the big show, but breaking 75 just twice in six rounds? That’s not exactly the stuff of sponsorship dreams.

So when LIV came knocking with their team format and veteran mentorship program, Piot saw opportunity where others saw controversy. He joined Niblicks GC (later renamed Cleeks GC) and settled into a world where missing cuts didn’t mean going home empty-handed.

The Honeymoon Ends

Year one went well enough – 36th in the individual standings kept him in good standing with the LIV’s Tour. But golf has a funny way of humbling you just when you think you’ve figured it out. Playing for Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers in his second season, Piot’s game went sideways. A 57th-place finish meant relegation, and just like that, his LIV adventure was over.

His last official LIV round came on October 15, 2023. Mark that date, because it started a year-long countdown that would determine when he could return to PGA Tour action.

Wandering in the Golf Wilderness

What do you do when you’re 24 years old and your professional golf career has hit a wall? If you’re Piot, you grind. A few Asian Tour events here, shoulder surgery there, and finally a Korn Ferry Tour start earlier this year that ended one shot shy of the weekend. Not exactly the trajectory anyone had mapped out.

But sometimes the golf gods have a sense of humor – and timing.

Coming Home

This week, Piot gets his shot at redemption in the most perfect setting imaginable: Detroit’s Rocket Classic, practically in his backyard. The tournament extended him a sponsor’s invitation, making him the first ex-LIV player to return to the PGA Tour via special invite.

Think about the poetry here. The kid who led Detroit Catholic Central to three straight state titles, who won the Michigan Junior State Amateur, who dreamed of playing professional golf in his home state – he’s getting that chance after the most unlikely detour imaginable.

The Bigger Picture

Piot’s story isn’t just about one player’s journey back to the PGA Tour. It’s about the messy reality of professional golf in 2025, where talented players are navigating a landscape that didn’t exist five years ago. He’s a pioneer of sorts – the first to make this particular trek from LIV rejection to PGA Tour redemption.

“Ever since the event was created on the schedule, I wanted to be a part of it,” Piot said about the Rocket Classic. Sometimes the universe listens, even if it takes a while to answer.

What Happens Next

This Thursday at Detroit Golf Club, Piot will tee it up alongside Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, and Hideki Matsuyama. Not bad company for a guy who was planning to Monday qualify just days ago. Whether this becomes a comeback story or just another chapter in professional golf’s evolving narrative remains to be seen.

But one thing’s certain: James Piot’s journey proves that in golf, as in life, the path is rarely straight. Sometimes you have to take the long way home to find out where you really belong.