For the primary time ever, there’s a formal pathway for a participant to qualify into a serious primarily based on efficiency in LIV occasions.
It’s a small but significant step.
As much as one LIV participant will earn their method into the U.S. Open primarily based on the LIV standings this season. To qualify, the participant should be within the high three of the standings as of Could 19, 2025.
If the highest three guys are already within the U.S. Open, no one 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 received’t be any exemption given.
However final 12 months, the highest three LIV gamers by mid-Could 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 12 months 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 chance that not less than one LIV participant within the high three of the standings received’t be already exempt into the U.S. Open. By my rely, there are solely seven LIV gamers at the moment 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 not less than 11 LIV gamers in every area.
Along with the one potential exemption, the USGA can be serving to the highest 10 LIV gamers within the league standings by permitting them instantly into last qualifying for the U.S. Open. This simply means they don’t must undergo the native qualifying, an arduous step previous to the following stage.
This might give gamers incentive to qualify the exhausting method. Some LIV gamers selected to not attempt U.S. Open qualifying in earlier years.
It is a good transfer by the USGA
When you bear in mind again in 2022 and 2023, there was loads of discuss concerning the majors having the luxurious 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. The perfect 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 must 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—turned 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 very best instance. It is a participant who’s No. 14 in Knowledge Golf however solely No. 68 within the OWGR. He is without doubt one of the greatest golfers on the earth and has gone exterior of the LIV ecosystem to show that. He has not received a serious and even performed nicely in majors, however he’s a younger participant worthy of competing in majors given his latest accomplishments.
If the objective of majors is to have the very best gamers on the earth, Niemann must 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 Knowledge Golf and No. 471 within the OWGR. Louis Oosthuizen? Abraham Ancer? They’re realistically high 60 gamers on the earth with out an correct OWGR to mirror that.
This is the reason I just like the U.S. Open’s transfer right here. It in all probability will get a man like Niemann or not less than one high 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 mean time.
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, in fact, not run by the PGA Tour. Their goal must be to host the very best competitions.
“I’ve informed LIV people who after we announce a pathway (into the U.S. Open), you can see it completely insufficient relative to the dimensions,” USGA CEO Mike Whan stated on the No Laying Up podcast. “Each tour finds their pathway into the U.S. Open insufficient. And that’s truthful. However we additionally keep in mind that half our area is vast open (by means of open qualifying), so you actually wish to be in, we don’t block a bunch of individuals out of it.”
The USGA doing this opens the door for extra collaboration between the majors and LIV transferring ahead.
And, prefer it or not, the LIV stigma of being exhibition golf might erode barely if the majors put extra formal qualifying constructions in place that reward good efficiency in LIV occasions.
Don’t get me flawed—the scenario is slimy as a result of LIV is a (virtually solely) closed circuit primarily based on invites. When 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 method 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 impulsively he’s within the U.S. Open? That doesn’t really feel proper.
Over time, the majors will determine the very best 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 a complete.
Prime Photograph Caption: Joaquin Niemann might be the beneficiary of a brand new USGA rule. (GETTY IMAGES/Sarah Reed)
The submit USGA Makes Smart Transfer By Creating LIV Qualifying Pathway appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
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