After the USGA allowed LIV Golf members to play in the U.S. Open for the sake of fairness, the Open Championship is following suit, opening the door for Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson – among others – to play at St. Andrews.
Defending Open champion Collin Morikawa, who reaffirmed his standing in the PGA Tour and has no intention of joining LIV Golf, will be fighting to reclaim his title against a bigger field.
DeCOURCY: PGA Tour needs to fight back against LIV Golf
R&A CEO Martin Slumbers explained the decision in a statement:
The PGA Tour is grappling with how to combat LIV Golf’s massive purses for golfers who join the Saudi Arabia-backed breakout league. One of the ways it’s trying to do so is by introducing larger salaries and purses for competitors, and another was by suspending all LIV Golf players indefinitely. The Majors, however, aren’t playing ball with that idea, and it’s undermining the PGA Tour in the process.
MORE: What does LIV Golf stand for?
How did LIV Golf players do at the U.S. Open?
The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, proved to be a tricky course throughout the U.S. Open. While many players didn’t have their best rounds, LIV Golfers struggled throughout the tournament.
Of the 14 who played, just four made the cut.
Matt Fitzpatrick ultimately got his first major win, while Will Zalatoris continued to bang on the door.
When is the next LIV Golf tournament?
LIV Golf opened up to low viewership with LIV Golf London. The next event will be in Portland, Oregon at Pumpkin Ridge. It will begin June 30, three weeks to the day after LIV Golf’s debut.
This inaugural season will continue through Oct. 30, when it will conclude at Trump National Golf Club Doral in Miami. Charl Schwartzel won the league’s first event with a score of 7 under.
