LIV Golf will be well represented at future Majors despite the ongoing disagreement over world ranking points – as long as there are no further rule changes.
Events on the LIV Golf Invitational Series don’t currently qualify for ranking points, meaning those playing there have been sliding down the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), though Greg Norman has appealed to OWGR, telling them it would be “wrong” not to include LIV events. An examination of LIV Golf’s application for ranking points began in the week of The 150th Open and there is hope that points will be allocated, but as it stands LIV’s players are sinking down the standings.
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka have fallen to 22nd and 26th in the world respectively, having been top 20 players when they signed, while Phil Mickelson is now outside the top 100. This tumble down the rankings is set to all but close the door on LIV players qualifying for Majors through their world ranking (depending on the event, the top 50 or 60 ranked players are invited), but for some, including Johnson, Koepka and Mickelson that shouldn’t matter, as they are previous Major winners and therefore exempt.
The current rules see any Major winner exempt for five years for all four tournaments. In addition, Masters winners are exempt at Augusta National for life, the same perk as PGA Championship winners get for its future events. Open champions are exempt until they’re 60-years-old, while US Open winners get an invite for the next 10 years.
As Major winners in the past five years, Cameron Smith, Mickelson, Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Koepka and Patrick Reed should be at all next year’s Majors. Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwatzel join Mickelson, Johnson and Reed in having lifetime invites to the Masters as former champions, while Mickelson, Koepka and Martin Kaymer can play the PGA Championship for life. Smith, Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen have Open berths until they’re 60, and Johnson, Koepka, DeChambeau and Kaymer will be invited to the US Open. In all, the winners of 12 of…
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