Eugenio Chacarra made millions of dollars jumping right into LIV Golf straight from the collegiate golf ranks. Not only did he cash in when he signed with the Saudi-owned league, but he also won early in his pro career and earned $4 million with a victory in the sixth-ever LIV Golf event in Thailand.
However, the Spanish-born 25-year-old was ceremonially ousted from the league after the 2024 season, despite earning enough points to warrant returning to the 54-player circuit. Instead, Chacarra found himself on the outside, looking for a new path to prosperity and to the major championships.
Chacarra took a step closer to getting in the majors on Sunday, winning for the first time in his DP World Tour career at the Hero Indian Open.
Finishing at 4-under 284 at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India, one of the most difficult golf courses in the world, Chacarra won the event by two shots over defending champion and fellow up-and-coming prodigy Keita Nakajima. Joost Luiten was the only other player to finish under par in the 72-hole event.
Coming into the week at 309th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Chacarra earned 15.9 points for the victory and more than $380,000. It's the start of a journey for Chacarra, as he looks to play well enough on the DP World Tour this season to get a PGA Tour card for 2026. He also seeks to earn enough OWGR points to break into the top 60 in the world, which would earn him an invitation to the US Open in June, though that is a huge ask given his status.
Chacarra, who was a sponsor invite into this week's event, said LIV Golf lied to him and other players about the imminent possibility of earning OWGR points through their 54-hole events, leaving him somewhat disillusioned with the league.
“When I joined LIV, they promised OWGR and majors. But it didn’t happen. I trusted them," Chacarra said to the "Flushing It" podcast in January 2025. "I was the first young guy, then the others came after I made the decision. But OWGR and majors still hasn’t happened."
However, he remains sponsored by Golf Saudi, and he was complimentary of the circuit in other areas.
“I’m thankful for everything LIV has given me," he said. "I’m 24 years old, and my life is set. I don’t know if it will work out for the best or not, but I know this is what my heart tells me is right and it works for my motivation to wake up and grind and get better, and to say I can be a PGA Tour player one day.”
To that end, 2025 has already been an unqualified success for Chacarra, who now has a third professional title following his LIV Golf win in Thailand and an Asian Tour win in Scotland in a lengthy playoff in 2023. So far, he's finished T-5 in the Asian Tour International Series opener in India, T-20 in the Magical Kenya Open and now won in India. Now he has full DP World Tour access available to him, and he can start on the path toward earning PGA Tour membership and major berths.
"That's a nice place to be now, considering what's happened the last couple of months," Chacarra said. "I mean, didn't soak in yet. We'll sit down with my team, and hopefully I get a lot of opportunities. Like you said, having status, it's amazing. I love the European Tour. I love the places you got to go. And, yeah, I'm just really proud, and we'll see what the next week looks for me."
