Eligible LIV Golf Players Will Be Allowed to Play in the British Open
As expected, the R&A will not preclude LIV Golf players from competing in this summer’s British Open at Royal Liverpool in England.
The R&A announced its Open qualifying criteria as well as all the qualifying sites.
In announcing the exemption categories for the 2023 event, the R&A noted players who have already qualified, including defending champion Cam Smith and other past Open champions who are part of LIV Golf: Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen.
Talor Gooch will get a spot based on qualifying—but not playing in—the season-ending Tour Championship on the PGA Tour. The Masters also acknowledged that accomplishment but the U.S. Open decided to alter its wording to say that you had to be eligible. Gooch was suspended by the PGA Tour. Joaquin Niemann is also in via the Tour Championship.
Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau are in the field via their top 10 finishes at St. Andrews last year (both were also exempt for having won major championships in the last five years.)
Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed are also in for having won majors in the last five years. Thomas Pieters, who is joining LIV Golf this year, is in the field via along with Richard Bland for finishing among the top 30 in last year’s Race to Dubai standings.
The Open is giving spots to the top three finishers not already exempt at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Wells Fargo Championship and the Memorial Tournament. On the DP World Tour, it is doing with he Betfred British masters, the Made in HimmerLand tournament and the Genesis Scottish Open.
There will be 16 spots available through regional and final qualifying, with four per each final spot.
As it has in the past, the Open is giving spots to the leader of various tours around the world. But for the second year, it is no longer giving a spot to the leader of the Asian Tour, which has seen financial help come its way from LIV Golf via the International Series that are elevated events on that circuit.