Eugenio Chacarra, a 25-year-old Spanish golfer and former LIV Golf player, has been granted a sponsor exemption into the upcoming Puerto Rico Open. This marks his first appearance in a non-co-sanctioned PGA Tour event since leaving LIV after the 2024 season. Chacarra expressed gratitude for his LIV experience while reaffirming his lifelong dream of competing on the PGA Tour.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced that Eugenio Chacarra earned a sponsor exemption into the Puerto Rico Open, an alternate-field event opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who starred at Oklahoma State before joining LIV Golf in 2022, won an event in his debut LIV season but was not re-signed by Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC after finishing in the league's 'open zone' following the 2024 season.
Chacarra served a year-long suspension from the PGA Tour, which ended in September 2025. Since leaving LIV, he has competed on the DP World Tour, securing a victory at the 2025 Hero Indian Open that granted him full status and entry into major events. He followed with a T4 at the Volvo China Open, top-10 finishes at the Italian Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship—where he placed solo third in December—and currently ranks No. 27 in the Race to Dubai standings. One of his goals is to earn one of the DP World Tour's 10 PGA Tour cards through these rankings.
In a media call announcing the exemption, Chacarra reflected on his career path. 'Playing LIV was a tremendous opportunity for me, for my family, for my future family,' he said. 'But my dream since I was little was to be on the PGA Tour.' He described losing motivation during his final LIV year and embracing a fresh start, including losing weight and rebuilding his mindset. Recently, he took a mental-health break, withdrawing from last week's Magical Kenya Open after missing cuts in two of his last three events.
Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chacarra practices at Southern Hills Country Club and Oklahoma State's Karsten Creek. He has prior PGA Tour experience, including a T45 as an amateur at the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship and a missed cut at the co-sanctioned 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. This exemption follows others, such as James Piot's sponsor invite to last summer's Rocket Mortgage Classic, amid ongoing cross-tour movements. Chacarra views the Puerto Rico Open as 'like a major' and aims to win or finish top-10 to accelerate his PGA Tour ambitions.
'When I’m playing good, I’m capable of winning,' he said. 'The goal is to try to get better every single day.'
