LIV Golf Players Qualified for the British Open Will Be Permitted to Compete
Golf's fourth and final major of 2022 will not prohibit previously exempt players from the LIV Golf Invitational Series from competing.
The field for the sold-out 150th British Open, set to be held July 14-17 at the historic Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, is scheduled to include players such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, all of whom have jumped from the PGA Tour to the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
“The Open is golf’s original Championship and since it was first played in 1860, openness has been fundamental to its ethos and unique appeal," said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, the governing body for the Open.
“Players who are exempt or have earned a place through qualifying for The 150th Open in accordance with the entry terms and conditions will be able to compete in the Championship at St. Andrews.
"We are focused on staging a world class Championship in July and celebrating this truly historic occasion for golf. We will invest the proceeds of The Open, as we always do, for the benefit of golf which reflects our purpose to ensure that the sport is thriving 50 years from now.”
Last week at the U.S. Open, more than a dozen players who had played in LIV Golf's opening event the previous week outside London competed at The Country Club. The USGA opted to not adjust its field, though CEO Mike Whan didn't rule out provisions in the future that would make it more difficult for LIV Golf members to play in the U.S. Open.
“Could I foresee a day? Yeah,’’ Whan said last week. “Do I know what that day looks like? I don’t. What we’re talking about (with LIV Golf)) was different two years ago and it was different months ago than it is today.
“We’ve been doing this for 127 years. So I think we need to take a long-term view of this and see kind of where things go. It’s not going to be a knee-jerk reaction. The question was, could you envision a day where it’d be harder for some folks doing different things to get into a U.S. Open? I could. I don’t know, but I could definitely foresee that day.’’
After the Open Championship, golf's next major will be the Masters Tournament in April 2023. Officials from Augusta National Golf Club have not commented on LIV Golf or any potential adjustments to future Masters fields.