LIV golfers’ chances of qualifying for The Open have dwindled after yet another rejection from the Official World Golf Rankings, and the R&A have revealed they have no plans to change their criteria
LIV Golf stars’ hopes of making it to the Open Championship the following year have been severely dashed by R&A chief Martin Slumbers’ update on the exemption requirements for 2024.
Due to the league’s most recent denial of Official World Golf Ranking status, there won’t be as many LIV stars teeing it up at Royal Troon next year. A significant portion of the Open field is determined by the world ranking, and as long as LIV players keep falling off the list, their representation in Scotland will be relatively small compared to previous major winners.
Bryson DeChambeau, the winner of the U.S. Open in the past, spearheaded the demand that major championships offer the breakaway league their own criteria in the wake of the OWGR’s most recent rejection in October.
Subsequently, The Telegraph revealed that discussions had taken place between the breakaway league and the R&A to secure 12 exemption spots for the top performers on the circuit. However, it seems that sleeps have eliminated any possibility that the LIV setup will be granted a special exemption path.
He affirmed that they intend to use the same procedure in 2024 in response to this year’s incident. Slumbers told Golf Digest, “If you look at the qualifications for last year’s Open and the way we structured the field for the 2023 Open.” “I’m at ease because we were able to create the chances we desired.
The best global field available to us is that one. Global issues are important to me. And that’s what we accomplished. Between the top-50 exemptions on the global rankings, our qualifying events in South Africa, Australia, Japan, on the Asian Tour, and final qualifying, there are enough spots available.
“I have faith that we will identify and start the best players. Next year, we’ll carry out the same actions. Talor Gooch, the individual 2023 champion for LIV Golf, is arguably the most well-known person who will be missing out at Royal Troon because he is currently ineligible to compete in any of the four majors.
Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell is one LIV star who has experience winning majors, and he thinks Slumbers and company need players like Gooch in their fields. Major championship access for players on LIV, in McDowell’s opinion, is currently the most important factor, he told Mirror Sport.
“You begin perusing the list of players who are not eligible to play in the Major League next season. “The first two that immediately spring to mind are Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch,” he continued. “Those guys are ‘top 25 in the world’ players, and the Majors need them.”
In reaction to McDowell’s support, Gooch acknowledged that he remains optimistic about securing a ticket to the main events. “It’s an honor to have a major champion and a great player like Graeme say that,” Gooch said to Mirror Sport after the Hong Kong Open this past month. “I hope to be at the majors next year, and we’ll see what they [the people in charge of the major championships] all decide.”
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