The R&A is allowing LIV golfers to compete in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. These include former Open winners Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen, also qualifying are Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Abaham Ancer, plus Brooks Koepka, who may also join the LIV Golf Tour.
Open Championship: Openness has been Fundamental
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said:
“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.
“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.”
The USGA had allowed the players who participated in the first event of the LIV Golf Series, which is funded by the Saudi government’s PIF, to participate in the US Open. The issue had arisen after the PGA Tour suspended the players. However, the major tournaments are hosted by independent promoters who set their own qualifying criteria. However, neither the USGA nor the R&A guarantee that the qualification criteria will not change in the future. In the long run, the question of whether there will be world ranking points for LIV golf tournaments will also be relevant in this context, as these are often an important component of major qualification.
The DP World Tour has not commented yet and wants to make a decision about the sanctions for the LIV Golf participants in the coming days.