LIV Golf
LIV golfers see progress in major exemptions, but think they deserve more in the future
Brooks Koepka celebrates winning his fifth major at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Keyur Khamar
ADELAIDE, Australia — As the golf world reacted to news that the USGA and R&A would offer LIV Golf one spot in each field of the upcoming U.S. Open and Open Championship, the league’s players were soaking in their new pathway on the other side of the world in Australia.
LIV Golf Adelaide will tee off with its shotgun format on Friday at 12:45 p.m. local time (Thursday at 9:15 p.m. ET), and for the first time in its three-year history the roster of 54 players will be vying for a direct pathway into two majors.
The R&A announced Monday the leading player not already exempt in the top five of the LIV individual standings through its Dallas event (June 27) will receive a start at Royal Portrush in July. It followed the U.S. Open, which will offer an exemption for Oakmont for the top player (not otherwise exempt) among LIV’s top three in the individual standings as of May 19.
In Adelaide, the development was welcomed by everyone from Adrian Meronk, who leads the standings after winning LIV Riyadh last week, to past Masters champion Patrick Reed, and even stars who don’t have to worry about access to the majors such as 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.
But several players ultimately described the news as “a good start.” Meaning that LIV’s 14 different major winners considers the group worthy of more.
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, saw his five years of guaranteed starts in majors run out at the end of 2023. Last year, he played in the Masters, where he has a lifetime exemption, as well as receiving a special exemption from the PGA of America to play the PGA Championship at Valhalla. He didn’t play in either of the Opens. “I think it's good; it's definitely a step in the right direction,” Reed told Golf Digest at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. “I still feel like that number needs to go up a little bit but, hey, the biggest thing is we're all talking and we're moving in the right direction. It's a huge step and positive news. Hopefully we can continue communication, keep on working closer.”
Meronk bagged 40 LIV points for his two-shot win over Jon Rahm and Sebastián Muñoz last week. He leads those two by 13 points and is not currently exempt into any of the majors for 2025.
“It's great news, a good step forward,” Meronk said. “I know it was only one spot, but it's a good start, and hopefully in the future there'll be more. It’s a nice bonus for us, especially for someone who's not qualified for any majors yet.”
There are six more LIV events (Adelaide, Hong Kong, Singapore, Miami, Mexico City and South Korea) before the May cutoff for the U.S. Open and an additional two (Washington, D.C. and Dallas) ahead of the late June cutoff for the Open Championship.
Koepka, who bagged his fifth major at the PGA at Oak Hill in 2023, does not have to worry about the four championships until after the 2028 U.S. Open. “This is the first step of many I think we're looking to take,” Koepka said. “I think the organizations around the world, the R&A, the USGA, they're looking at LIV Golf as part of the golf ecosystem now.”
Smith feels it should have happened sooner. The Australian, who won the 150th Open at St. Andrews in 2022, can tee up at the links major until he turns 60, as well as the other three majors until the end of the 2026 season. “I think it definitely needed to happen,” he said. “I feel like there are some guys out here who have missed out on spots in majors over the past couple years that deserved them, so it’s good to see that they are acknowledging us.”
One issue, though, is there’s a possibility no LIV player could gain entry through this category to either major if the top three (U.S. Open) and top five (Open Championship) are already exempt. History would suggest an LIV player will get in, considering Talor Gooch (2023) and Joaquin Niemann (2024) would have gotten in had these exemption categories been in place.
It’s why LIV players want more than one spot. Asked if thinks the exemptions should eventually grow to three or five, Reed agreed.
“Yeah, I would hope so,” he said. “I'd love for that. If you look at the track record how we've played as a [group] at the major championships, LIV has been really solid. It just shows you the quality of guys are out here.”
A lot of LIV players have performed well since joining the league while others have waned. Reed was referring to Koepka and reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, the two who have won a major as a LIV member. A handful of others have had top finishes, such as DeChambeau’s runner-up at Valhalla last year, and Koepka’s runner-up to Rahm at the 2023 Masters. At the 2024 Masters, Smith, DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton were in the top 10. Dustin Johnson, however, is a Masters and U.S. Open champion who has had just two top-10s since joining LIV in 2022 and apart from those two results has finished no better than T-31, with several missed cuts.
Reed says the pathways to the Opens will enhance the league for fans and players by creating urgency to perform for those who need it.
“It adds a lot to every event,” he said. “… You can't sit there. With this quality of fields, you have to play solid golf from the first event to the last.”
For LIV’s broadcast, which is now on FOX in the U.S. and on ITV in the U.K., it would make a lot of sense for commentators to regularly mention the points standings to viewers as it relates to the two Opens.
“Yeah, I think that will happen,” Reed added. “We’ve just finished the first week and here in Adelaide, we’ll see what it's like. As players, we don’t really watch the broadcasts as we’re out there grinding. I feel they will definitely mention that because it’s just another dynamic with [LIV’s] team golf, individual [results], and the pathway to the majors.”