Joaquin Niemann is amongst LIV’s prime gamers who might miss out on future occasions.
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When Bryson DeChambeau received the U.S. Open two weeks in the past he took dwelling a couple of worthwhile prizes along with the trophy. He claimed a first-place test of $4.3 million. He earned sufficient world rating factors to climb again into the highest 10. And he tacked on one other 5 years to his major championship eligibility.
When Tyrrell Hatton received LIV’s Nashville occasion by six strokes the next week he, too, earned a first-place test of $4 million. But he didn’t earn any rating factors, remaining at No. 22 on the earth. And by the point subsequent yr’s majors come round, his eligibility for 3 of the 4 will probably be up within the air.
None of that is breaking information; the OWGR query has hung round LIV since its inception. And though some gamers who joined the Saudi-backed startup circuit had been assured that they’d get factors, that hasn’t occurred — and earlier this yr LIV deserted its quest altogether. Because the majors have lengthy used the OWGR to construct out their fields, this implies hassle for LIV execs seeking to compete in golf’s most prestigious occasions.
In his post-tournament press convention on the U.S. Open DeChambeau struck a conciliatory tone, suggesting the world of males’s professional golf ought to come again collectively. That’s a chorus that’s been echoed by sure voices on each side of the LIV-PGA Tour divide, together with Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood in latest weeks. That might nicely happen; talks between the Tour and LIV’s funding supply, the Saudi PIF, stay ongoing, and there’s a future that might embody world rating factors for all. But if nothing occurs, the divergent tales of DeChambeau and Hatton inform a unique story: While LIV’s most well-known gamers stay major-eligible, the remainder of its berths are dwindling away.
LIV’s excellent news
LIV’s lessened presence at majors has been partially glossed over as a result of a lot of its greatest names have retained their major eligibility. Winning a major will get you entry into each different major for the 5 years that comply with, which implies Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA) and Cam Smith (2022 Open Championship) have been in no hazard of lacking majors whereas Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA) and DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open) have received since becoming a member of.
LIV can be assured to have an ongoing presence on the Masters as a result of the Masters provides its winners lifetime invites and LIV has snapped up a bunch of green-jacket winners; that group is headlined by Jon Rahm (2023) and consists of Sergio Garcia (2017), Reed (2018), Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Bubba Watson (2012, 2014) — in addition to the aforementioned Johnson and Mickelson.
LIV gamers personal a couple of different excellent event exemptions. Martin Kaymer has an exemption on the PGA Championship till age 60 (due to his win in 2011), whereas Louis Oosthuizen (2010) and Henrik Stenson (2016) can play the Open till they’re 60 as previous champs, too. Richard Bland’s latest Senior PGA title will get him into subsequent yr’s PGA Championship. And Hatton earned his manner into subsequent yr’s Masters by the use of a T9 end this season, whereas Dean Burmester will make it again to the PGA due to a T12.
This yr they proved there are different methods in, too. Sergio Garcia was amongst these to make it by qualifying for the U.S. Open, whereas different prime worldwide finishes netted Open Championship berths to Burmester, Joaquin Niemann and David Puig.
So one factor is for positive: There will probably be proficient, high-profile LIV golfers on the 2025 major championships.
LIV’s dangerous information
The different certainty is that, if nothing adjustments, there will probably be fewer of them annually that follows. Due to diminishing world rating factors, prime LIV execs have already performed fewer majors the final two years than they’d have had they remained on the PGA Tour. Abraham Ancer hasn’t performed a major in 2024. Neither has Paul Casey. Nor have Marc Leishman, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Ian Poulter, Brendan Steele, Harold Varner III and Matthew Wolff. Others have seen decreased begins: Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed had been among the many notable names to overlook this newest U.S. Open.
Let’s try a chart by way of refined stathead Robopz, who has been laser-focused on exemptions and posted this on Twitter (he’s value a comply with for the golf nerds amongst you, here). Take a have a look at these numbers highlighted in yellow: Of the gamers on LIV’s present roster, 25 performed the Masters in 2022 however simply 13 performed this yr and 11 are assured invitations in 2025. The numbers are even bleaker for the opposite three majors: 42 now-LIV-players performed the PGA in 2022, 16 performed this season and 9 are presently promised for subsequent yr. At the U.S. Open these numbers go to 30 (in 2022), 13 (this yr) and 6 (for 2025), whereas issues look comparable on the Open Championship: 31 (in 2022), 14 (thus far this yr) and eight (so far for subsequent yr).
Even these invitees aren’t essentially LIV’s greatest. Take the Masters area, as an example: Schwartzel and Reed are No. 19 and 20 on LIV’s order of advantage, Mickelson ranks No. 43 and Watson ranks No. 50. Meanwhile Nos. 1 (Niemann) 4 (Oosthuizen) and 5 (Burmester) on that listing aren’t but exempt. Others with long-term exemptions embody Stenson (No. 36) and Kaymer (No. 38) whereas Carlos Ortiz (No. 9) and Abraham Ancer (No. 10) have nothing promised going ahead.
This is hardly ultimate; extra LIV execs will find yourself in these fields. The Masters invited Niemann this yr primarily based on his worldwide play. The PGA invited Puig, Burmester and Gooch. And USGA head Mike Whan teased the thought of a future LIV exemption class. There will probably be different methods in by DP World Tour occasions, Asian Tour occasions or particular invites. But these invitations are nonetheless prone to be restricted and LIV execs are nonetheless unlikely to earn important world rating factors until, mockingly, they play in all of the majors.
LIV’s path again
Thinking massive image there are two practical paths again to majors for LIV execs with out present major exemptions. The one they’d possible choose can be if the majors abruptly determined to have an in depth LIV-exempt listing like, say, the highest 12 gamers within the league entering into every major. The different route would contain some kind of unification with the PGA Tour, the possibility to play in additional world-ranking-point occasions and subsequently taking part in nicely sufficient to work their manner again up the eligibility classes.
But there’s been little to recommend professional golf will take both of these paths by, say, subsequent season.
In the meantime LIV gamers will proceed to reap the monetary rewards of their resolution to leap to their new circuit. But in a fancy professional golf panorama, these are the implications: fewer possibilities to earn world rating factors, fewer possibilities win the sport’s greatest occasions. Time will inform how these greatest occasions reply.
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