Former Ryder Cup player surprisingly withdraws from LIV Golf qualifying event to retire

Instead of trying to revitalize his career with LIV Golf, a familiar face to many European golf fans has called it quits.

Dubuisson had second thoughts after putting his name in for this week’s LIV Golf Qualifying Event in Abu Dhabi. The French publication L’Equipe claims that he has made the decision to retire at the age of 33.

“I think I’ve had enough, and I know there are other places I can find enjoyment. That’s what I think, Dubuisson stated.

“A lot of people will argue that I could have accomplished more and held the top spot in the world. However, I’m extremely content with [my career]. I don’t constantly live with regret. I can tell you that I am really happy when I look behind me, at where I started, and at where I am now.

The Frenchman scored 2.5 points for the Europeans while competing for the winning 2014 Ryder Cup squad. That week at Gleneagles in Scotland, only Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, and Dubusisson did not lose a game.

Dubuisson saw a career-high increase in his ranking the following February, reaching a position of 15th. That year, he participated in all four majors, but he was eliminated from three of them. At Whistling Straits, he tied for 18th place in the PGA Championship.

But in the year of his only Ryder Cup participation, Dubuisson appeared to be among the world’s finest European golfers. Rory McIlroy won both the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he tied for ninth, and the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he tied for seventh.

However, the Cannes, France, native found it difficult to adjust to life on the PGA Tour, which could account for his difficulties in the US during the 2015 season.

He split his time between the two circuits, but felt more at ease playing on the European tour. The Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya that autumn was won by Dubuisson.

As a result, following the 2015 season, he was denied a card on the PGA Tour, forcing him to compete only on the European Tour in 2016 and 2017.

However, Dubuisson’s triumph on the Turkish Riviera in 2015 would be his last as a professional, as he failed to gain any traction in the years that followed. After the 2022 season, he was disqualified from the DP World Tour due to his 287th-place finish in the Race to Dubai rankings. That’s why his name was on the list of participants for the first-ever LIV Golf Qualifying Event.

However, Dubuisson has made the decision to give up completely and go in a different route.

“That’s life,” It’s not the end for me,” Dubuisson continued.

“As I began with nothing, I’m really happy with my accomplishments. I still picture myself as a young child, complete with Decathlon clubs and a little bag. I was not at all predestined for this line of work.