For the primary time ever, there’s a formal pathway for a participant to qualify into a significant primarily based on efficiency in LIV occasions.
It’s a small but significant step.
As much as one LIV participant will earn their means into the U.S. Open primarily based on the LIV standings this season. To qualify, the participant have to be within the prime three of the standings as of Might 19, 2025.
If the highest three guys are already within the U.S. Open, no person will get the exemption.
So, let’s say the highest three is Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson. These gamers are already within the U.S. Open primarily based on earlier main efficiency. In that case, there gained’t be any exemption given.
However final yr, the highest three LIV gamers by mid-Might had been Joaquin Niemann, Rahm and Dean Burmester. In that case, Niemann would have been given an exemption into the U.S. Open—it was the one main he didn’t play final yr as a result of two of the others (Masters and PGA Championship) gave him particular exemptions and he certified into the opposite (Open Championship) primarily based on ends in the Australian Open. (Niemann has already been given exemptions into the Masters and PGA Championship for 2025).
There’s a excessive probability that a minimum of one LIV participant within the prime three of the standings gained’t be already exempt into the U.S. Open. By my depend, there are solely seven LIV gamers at present within the U.S. Open: DeChambeau, Rahm, Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Richard Bland.
The opposite three majors are all set to have a minimum of 11 LIV gamers in every discipline.
Along with the one potential exemption, the USGA can be serving to the highest 10 LIV gamers within the league standings by permitting them immediately into remaining qualifying for the U.S. Open. This simply means they don’t need to undergo the native qualifying, an arduous step previous to the following stage.
This might give gamers incentive to qualify the exhausting means. Some LIV gamers selected to not strive U.S. Open qualifying in earlier years.
This can be a sensible transfer by the USGA
Gamers like Joaquin Niemann may earn an exemption into the U.S. Open. (GETTY IMAGES/Ezra Shaw)
In case you bear in mind again in 2022 and 2023, there was a number of discuss concerning the majors having the posh of ignoring LIV as a result of their qualification standards centered across the Official World Golf Rating.
With LIV by no means incomes OWGR factors, the desk was set for the majors to let their qualification system do the speaking. One of the best LIV gamers had been already exempt primarily based on earlier main victories. Center-of-the-road guys like Talor Gooch—gamers who didn’t actually have to be in main fields—would naturally fall out of place to qualify primarily based on their rating.
However as time went on, the Masters and PGA Championship—who lack open qualifying—grew to become extra aggressive with including particular exemptions for LIV gamers who had been competing at a excessive degree in each LIV and non-LIV occasions.
Niemann is the most effective instance. This can be a participant who’s No. 14 in Information Golf however solely No. 68 within the OWGR. He is among the finest golfers on the earth and has gone exterior of the LIV ecosystem to show that. He has not gained a significant and even performed nicely in majors, however he’s a younger participant worthy of competing in majors given his latest accomplishments.
If the purpose of majors is to have the most effective gamers on the earth, Niemann ought to be in all of them.
Your subsequent query is what number of LIV guys fall into the Niemann class.
Only a few. Possibly none relying in your definition.
Sergio Garcia is No. 39 in Information Golf and No. 471 within the OWGR. Louis Oosthuizen? Abraham Ancer? They’re realistically prime 60 gamers on the earth with out an correct OWGR to mirror that.
For this reason I just like the U.S. Open’s transfer right here. It in all probability will get a man like Niemann or a minimum of one prime 60 participant on the earth into their main, however it doesn’t push a lot past that line. I don’t assume the USGA must in the meanwhile.
Even this small step says quite a bit about how golf has modified prior to now couple of years.
LIV is a going to be right here long-term and there are going to be some good gamers popping out of the league who need to be in majors. These majors are, after all, not run by the PGA Tour. Their goal ought to be to host the most effective competitions.
“I’ve told LIV people that when we announce a pathway (into the U.S. Open), you will find it totally inadequate relative to the size,” USGA CEO Mike Whan mentioned on the No Laying Up podcast. “Every tour finds their pathway into the U.S. Open inadequate. And that’s fair. But we also remember that half our field is wide open (through open qualifying), so you really want to be in, we don’t block a bunch of people out of it.”
The USGA doing this opens the door for extra collaboration between the majors and LIV shifting ahead.
And, prefer it or not, the LIV stigma of being exhibition golf may erode barely if the majors put extra formal qualifying buildings in place that reward good efficiency in LIV occasions.
Don’t get me fallacious—the scenario is slimy as a result of LIV is a (nearly fully) closed circuit primarily based on invites. In case you begin saying the highest 10 LIV guys within the standings (out of 54 gamers) get into the majors, then that feels inherently unfair. These gamers didn’t earn their means on LIV. Their competitors in LIV occasions is quite a bit lower than on Tour.
What if a man like Anthony Kim has one good week and rapidly he’s within the U.S. Open? That doesn’t really feel proper.
Over time, the majors will work out the most effective combine.
However ought to there be extra formal pathways given the place we are actually in a professional golf world?
Completely. I don’t assume there’s any query at this level. It’s higher for the majors and higher for professional golf as an entire.
High Picture Caption: Joaquin Niemann may very well be the beneficiary of a brand new USGA rule. (GETTY IMAGES/Sarah Reed)
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