Of the 156 players teeing it up at the 124th US Open at Pinehurst, there’s just the 12 representing LIV Golf this time – that’s the lowest number since the team golf league was introduced.
Nine players will line-up on the famous Pinehurst No.2 course next week courtesy of exemptions, with seven of them coming from being recent Major champions and two from performances on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour last season.
They are joined by just three LIV players who qualified out of the 35 who attempted to make it through the touch sectional qualifying schedule.
The big guns have proved it’s quality not quantity of late though, with Brooks Koepka winning last year’s PGA Championship and Bryson DeChambeau going close in this year’s same event at Valhalla last month.
And with a LIV golfer winning six of the last 10 US Open titles, maybe one of these 12 could continue that theme by claiming the third Major of the season, so let’s take a look at their chances.
LIV Golfers playing in the US Open
EXEMPT
- Jon Rahm
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Brooks Koepka
- Dustin Johnson
- Martin Kaymer
- Cameron Smith
- Phil Mickelson
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Adrian Meronk
QUALIFIERS
- Eugenio Chacarra
- David Puig
- Dean Burmester
(Best odds via Oddschecker)
Bryson DeChambeau – 18/1
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The undisputed favourite from this LIV group has to be Bryson DeChambeau after two fine Major performances, finishing T6 at The Masters after leading before pushing Xander Schauffele all the way at the PGA Championship.
The 2020 US Open champion bullied his way to glory at Winged Foot, but there’s more finesse about his game these days – he still topped the driving distances at Valhalla but also topped the scrambling stats and was 100% on six sand saves.
And along with his short game he’s a more than solid putter under pressure, so despite some so-so LIV results this year his Major game is in full working order, and he could well challenge again in Pinehurst.
Brooks Koepka – 25/1
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A disastrous third round at Valhalla cost him any chance of retaining his PGA Championship title, which we thought he could well do after winning a LIV event in Singapore just beforehand.
But that’s now three really poor Major finishes in a row and four straight without a top 10 – which remarkably is the joint-most he’s ever gone so expect him…
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