The comedown after a major championship is always real, when golf retreats to its niche corner in sports, away from the attention that a battle between US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst commands from mainstream media and New York talk shows. The “other” four weeks of the year that follow men’s majors – even when they include PGA Tour signature events – are professional golf’s equivalent of a B-side in the music industry. They can become cult hits, but more often they’re just talented people messing around for our entertainment.

The humbling experience will be shared, to a degree, between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which has already lobbed into Connecticut for the Travelers Championship. The $US20 million signature event will no doubt produce some entertainment despite the absence of McIlroy, who withdrew from the event at TPC River Highlands to take a break from golf after two missed short putts cost him a fifth career major. But it won’t offer the same adrenaline rush as DeChambeau saving a 72nd-hole par from a treacherous 50-metre bunker shot to claim a second career major by one shot.

However, it’s likely that DeChambeau, and his LIV Golf League, will have the sharper hangover than the PGA Tour as the rival circuit heads to Tennessee for LIV Nashville. The brand-new tournament is the ninth on LIV’s 14-event schedule for 2024. The fledgling league has not been able to gain the same traction in the US that it has enjoyed overseas, like its flagship tournament in Adelaide in April, which saw 94,000 fans attend over three days. DeChambeau will go from being the star of the most-watched East Coast US Open since 2013 – the final round peaked at 11.4 million viewers – to a league whose broadcast is split between The CW network, Caffeine TV and the LIV Golf+ app.

“I’ve been running on probably a cumulative total in the past three days of maybe 12 hours of sleep,” said DeChambeau during a press conference on Wednesday in Nashville when asked what life has been like in the wake of the Pinehurst victory. “Certainly, it’s been a whirlwind for me, and a lot of adrenaline going through my body the past few days. There’s going to be an adrenaline dump here in the next day.”

You’ll get a laugh out of the most searched internet phrase for Bryson DeChambeau

But LIV Nashville, being held at The Grove, a course designed by LIV commissioner Greg Norman, is showing early signs of experiencing a Bryson Bump. Although no specific numbers were offered – and they won’t come close to the 200,000-plus spectators that attended the US Open throughout the week at Pinehurst – league sources tell Golf Digest Nashville is expected to become the highest-attended LIV event in the US since LIV’s inception in 2022. Seventeen of the 30 LIV tournaments prior to Nashville were held in the US. The Tulsa World reported after the conclusion of the LIV event in Oklahoma in May 2023 that the 40,000 attendees was the biggest in the US to that point.

A majority of the ticket categories for the second round in Nashville have sold out, including grounds passes (general admission). In the three days after DeChambeau’s Pinehurst triumph, LIV saw a 240 percent increase in its average daily ticket sales for an event week. A spokesperson for LIV said Nashville had ticket buyers from 15 different countries and all 50 US states. More than 30 percent of ticket purchases came from outside Tennessee.

The Bryson Bump also reportedly extends to LIV’s merchandise sales, and specifically, DeChambeau’s own LIV team, Crushers GC. Crushers apparel is manufactured by the stylish golf brand, Stitch Golf. The team, which includes Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey, plays under a logo featuring a golf ball silhouette hovering above two crossed golf tees. While the Crushers logo and swag is not everyone’s cup of tea, it was beamed to US Open viewers around the world and that exposure has certainly helped. While not disclosing overall dollar figures, league sources claimed Crushers GC merchandise sales increased 985 percent in the week from Tuesday at Pinehurst to yesterday. The sources also claimed the league overall also saw a 308 percent uptick in merchandise sales in the same span.

Of course, we can’t forget the Google realm, either, where DeChambeau arguably does his best work. A Google Trends spokesperson told Golf Digest that search engine interest in DeChambeau spiked 490 percent in the US (and 430 percent globally) in the 72 hours after Pinehurst. On YouTube, where DeChambeau has a channel with 740,000 subscribers, search interest for the month between the PGA Championship in May 19, when DeChambeau finished second to Xander Schauffele, and June 19, peaked on the day after the final round at Pinehurst. DeChambeau’s 23-minute video upload, “My US Open Highlights,” garnered 511,000 views while his match against YouTube golfer Garrett Clark, using hickory-shafted golf clubs, amassed almost a million views since it was published during the US Open.

While LIV Nashville won’t offer anywhere close to the drama of DeChambeau’s bunker shot – the most memorable 72nd-hole shot since Tiger Woods’ putt on the 18th green at Torrey Pines in 2008 – he will at least be back among his fraternity of league stars. Brooks Koepka, the first LIV player to win a major (his fifth overall) at the PGA last year already greeted DeChambeau warmly on the range at The Grove.

“I’ve got to recover for Friday, which I should be ready to do, and give the fans an exciting weekend,” DeChambeau said, returning to his entertainer mindset. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Try as DeChambeau will, however, it’ll be a comedown. But the silver lining is there’s still one more major this year. Let’s hope the week after the Open Championship at Troon is just as tough.

The post As US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau returns to LIV Golf, will be bring any new fans along with him? appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

Draymond Green recently made news by claiming the NBA doesn’t set players up “to be wealthy after we’re done playing” due to fines. The Golden State Warriors star has been fined an estimated $US900,000 by the league and lost $3.2 million due to suspensions throughout his career. That’s a ton of money, but Green’s argument was largely mocked due to the fact that he will have earned $255 million by the time his latest contract runs out.

What’s the point of telling you all this? Well, it turns out that it’s a LOT less costly to be a hothead in pro golf.

"Mate, you are not even close."

Tyrrell Hatton made a reporter guess how much he's been fined for his on-course outbursts. pic.twitter.com/ZU3yZhfh4B

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 14, 2024

Enter Tyrrell Hatton, who has had no shortage of on-course outburts throughout his career. Heck, on Thursday at the US Open, he drop-kicked a 5-iron on Pinehurst’s 17th hole. And that was a hole he wound up birdieing!

Hatton plays for LIV Golf now where it seems anything goes, but he became a star on the European Tour and PGA Tour before that. While those tours don’t make their fines public, it’s been assumed that the fiery Brit has racked up a slew of them for club throws and curses and, even imitating firing a gun at Augusta National’s iconic 13th hole.

Forgive me but I couldn’t resist seeing how Tyrrell Hatton reacted to his 8 at 13 yesterday. This was after shot 6. Have the anger management classes paid off? pic.twitter.com/Rw8JgENgWi

— Dave Tindall (@DaveTindallgolf) April 10, 2022

But after Friday’s second round at Pinehurst, Hatton was asked how much money he’s been fined in his career. And the amount will probably stun you. And not in the way you’re expecting. Here was the exchange:

Q. Do you have any idea how much you’ve been fined over the years for outbursts?

HATTON: How much I’ve been fined? I think you’d actually be shocked because you’re thinking it’s ridiculous amounts. Now, don’t get me wrong; it’s still a lot of money, but it is nowhere near – give me your best guess.

Q. $100,000.

HATTON: Mate, you are not even close.

Q. Higher?

HATTON: Not even – I think even with the DP World Tour, I reckon I haven’t reached double digits. It’s still quite a bit of money, but it’s nowhere near where you were saying.

U.S. Open 2024: Watch the NBC booth go crazy over this insane Sahith Theegala chip-in

You’re right, Tyrrell, we are shocked. Thanks for letting us know. And, uh, it’s probably best not to share that info with Draymond.

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post US Open 2024: Tyrrell Hatton reveals how much money he’s been fined in his career, and the figure will shock you appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

The golf got a little too loud for Ian Poulter last Sunday at LIV Houston.

In a wild video that just hit social media, the Englishman and Majesticks team captain can be heard absolutely unloading on an unruly fan who had apparently been giving him the business long before the videographer hit record on their phone. The clip begins with Poulter staring down the fan and angrily asking him, “Why don’t you f–k off?”

Poulter, who wound up shooting a seven-over 79 on the final day, was in no mood for this fan’s antics. “You were f–king quacking it up on the 18th tee,” he can be heard saying as he hops on the back of a cart. “So f–k off.”

After a short pause, the camera pans to the fan in question who says “just relax”, which further sets Poulter off.

“I suggest you shut the f–k up,” he adds.” Below is the clip in all of its glory:

“I suggest you shut the fuck up”

I freakin love Poultz man he doesn’t take shit from anybody pic.twitter.com/ClKutPdDVM

— DrunkByTheTurn (@DBTTofficial) June 12, 2024

For those who have been following Poulter a long time, this is nothing new. The man has never been afraid to mix it up with the people, both the good ones and the bad ones. Unfortunately, he now lives in a day and age when the phones are out at all times and the red light is on. This video will now live on the internet forever. Honestly, it’s got great meme potential. Buy your stock now, kids.

The post ‘I suggest you shut the f–k up’: Ian Poulter absolutely UNLOADS on unruly LIV fan appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Patrick Smith]

A pathway into majors, or lack thereof, has been a complaint from LIV Golf and its constituents since the Saudi-backed league launched in 2022, one that has only grown since LIV rescinded its application for world ranking points. However, it appears the fledgling circuit may get their wish, and relatively soon.

Speaking to the media overnight (Australian time) ahead of this week’s US Open, USGA chief executive Mike Whan acknowledged his organisation is weighing the idea of exemptions for LIV Golf for future US Opens.

“There is no out-of-bounds stakes on our field criteria. In other words, this major is probably different than some others – you can get in,” Whan said. “It’s not a closed field. It doesn’t require a committee or an invitation. If you want to play in this field you’ve got an opportunity to play in this field, and we’re proud of that.

“I would say to your specific question, John [Bodenhamer] and I have both talked about it, and we’re going to talk about it this offseason, whether or not there needs to be a path to somebody or somebodies that are performing really well on LIV that can get a chance to play in that way. I think we are serious about that. Exactly what that looks like and how that’ll curtail, I’m not just being coy; we haven’t done that yet.”

There are currently 12 LIV players in the field at Pinehurst this week; originally there were 13, but Jon Rahm withdrew on Tuesday due to an infection on his foot. A majority of these were exempt through past major championship wins – such as Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson – but those exemptions have term limits and the end of those runways are coming into sight. This includes Martin Kaymer, whose 10-year exemption for winning the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst is up after this week.

While the competitive nature of LIV Golf remains in dispute, there’s no doubt the league harbours some of the game’s marquee talents. The USGA has also widened its exemption net in the recent past, including awarding a spot to the top Korn Ferry Tour finisher from the previous season. And if a feeder circuit is gaining entries into the national championship, it does raise the question of what’s stopping LIV from earning a guaranteed invitation.

Conversely, as Whan pointed out, the US Open is open, and every LIV player was given the opportunity to qualify.

“Half this field is filled open, and I think we had 35 players from LIV that were exempted right into final qualifying,” Whan said. “So if they really wanted to be here, they could go play 36 holes and qualify, and some did, to their credit.” Some of those players include Dean Burmester, Eugenio Chacarra and Sergio Garcia.

Whan also nodded to the ambiguity that continues to engulf professional golf making the matter difficult for the USGA.

“If I’m being perfectly honest with you, we’ve always felt like for the last maybe year-and-a-half that we’re always three months away from kind of understanding what the new structure is going to look like,” Whan said, alluding to the surprise framework agreement between the tour and LIV’s backer, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. “So before we kind of react, what is LIV going to be, what’s the PGA Tour? So we always kind of felt like we’re just about to know that answer, so let’s figure that out.

“Now I think the reason we’re being more vocal about looking at that for next year is maybe this is the new world order, and if that’s the case, we wanted to take a look at that.”

Whan’s comments come as the tour and PIF are in discussions regarding a possible long-term pact between the rival leagues.

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

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There was no complaining, no bitterness. Carlos Ortiz stood over a pitch shot on the final hole of LIV Golf Houston confident he would win, and certain he would be asked later about the fact he will not be playing in this week’s US Open at Pinehurst.

Ortiz didn’t save par, but with a final-round 67 and a 15-under-par total (201), he held on for a one-shot win over Adrian Meronk when the Polish golfer missed a birdie putt to force a playoff. Moments later, speaking to reporters, Ortiz owned his decision to join the league – which does not award Official World Golf Ranking points – and his failure to advance through US Open final qualifying at the Dallas site three weeks ago.

“It’s a shame I doubled the last hole to miss the qualifier; it hurt a lot,” Ortiz said after winning his first LIV title. “I’ve been playing great. But I think with time, we’re going to get back into the majors because I know that I’m one of the best players in the world right now, and I deserve to be there. But the way things are happening right now, it’s kind of hard.”

Ortiz’s faith that LIV players will soon be given an avenue into the majors was probably boosted by recent comments made by USGA chief championship officer, John Bodenhamer. He said that the organiser of the US Open was evaluating its eligibility criteria as it relates to LIV players. The fledgling league will send 12 golfers to Pinehurst, which is three fewer than in 2023.

“We’ve watched what is happening in professional golf unfold and we’ve seen a lot of good players go over to LIV and so we’re thinking a lot about it, we’ve talked a lot about it,” Bodenhamer said. “I think it’s reasonable to expect that at some point, yes, we would create a pathway or someway that we would get those great players, give them an opportunity to be unified again.”

Bodenhamer’s comments follow the PGA of America awarding invitations to seven LIV players for the PGA Championship last month, and after Augusta National did the same for LIV star Joaquin Niemann for the Masters in April. As for the PGA Tour, representatives including commissioner Jay Monahan and Tiger Woods met with counterparts from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, including governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in New York late last week. The rendezvous came just more than a year after the framework agreement was announced on June 6, 2023. After the New York meeting, however, a deal to involve the PIF as investors in PGA Tour Enterprises was described only as “accelerating” in a press release by the tour on Saturday. “More progress was made,” the vague statement said.

In the meantime, world No.232 Ortiz and his LIV peers face uncertainty until pro golf’s majors dilemma is resolved. Aside from a $US4 million winner’s prize for LIV Houston, Ortiz said some consolation could be found in focusing on gaining entry to the Open Championship at Royal Troon, as well as representing his native Mexico at the Olympics in Paris in August.

“I’ll do my best to get into the British Open, and I also have the Summer Olympics, too, other than the LIV tournaments coming up,” said Ortiz, who will have to enter 36-hole final qualifying in early July for the Open. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

For now, Ortiz will forget about the US Open and focus instead on his love affair with Texas. He went to college at the University of North Texas and decided to set up life in Dallas with his wife and children. He won his only PGA Tour title at the 2020 Houston Open down the road at Memorial Park.

“I guess Texas likes me, and I like Texas back,” he said.

Down the leaderboard from Ortiz and Meronk was a tie for third place that included Spain’s David Puig, who did qualify for the US Open at the Lake Merced site near San Francisco, and Patrick Reed. Reed is not in the US Open, having ran out of the eligibility this year that came with his 2018 Masters victory. He was unable to play in US Open qualifying due to a scheduling conflict that arose from being invited to the PGA at Valhalla.

Lucas Herbert was the top Australian, having tied for sixth place at 10-under, five behind Ortiz. Of the other Australians, Marc Leishman finished at four-under, Matt Jones was one-under and Cameron Smith was four-over and tied 48th alongside Anthony Kim.

LIV’s 12-player contingent for Pinehurst includes Puig, as well as 2020 champion Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, 2016 winner Dustin Johnson, the 2014 winner at Pinehurst Martin Kaymer, two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka, Meronk, Phil Mickelson, 2021 winner Jon Rahm, Smith, Dean Burmester and Eugenio Chacarra. Rahm withdrew from LIV Houston after playing just six holes of the second round because of an infected left foot.

The post Carlos Ortiz wins his first LIV Golf event, laments he’s not in the US Open appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Tim Warner]

Five days before the start of the US Open at Pinehurst No.2, Jon Rahm had to withdraw from the LIV Golf event in Houston with a foot injury. Limping slightly during his first-round 69 at the Golf Club of Houston, Rahm played six holes in round two before deciding to withdraw. LIV Golf posted a video on X confirming the WD and showing Rahm shaking hands with his group before leaving the course.

UPDATE: Jon Rahm has WD from LIV Golf Houston due to injury.#LIVGolf @LegionXIIIgc pic.twitter.com/RUdhndSlCN

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) June 8, 2024

The withdrawal may very well have been precautionary for Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion at Torrey Pines. The 29-year-old was reportedly dealing with a cut or cuts between his toes.

Rahm, who is in his first year on LIV Golf after leaving the PGA Tour last December, has played solidly on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, with top-10 finishes in all seven starts, including four top-5s. But the former world No.1 and current No.7 has struggled in this year’s majors. He tied for 44th in the Masters and missed the cut in last month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

The post Jon Rahm withdraws from LIV Golf Houston ahead of US Open appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

The LIV Golf League filled the last open spot on its 2024 schedule overenight when officials announced that Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, will be the site for its season-ending $US50 million LIV Golf Team Championship.

The Dallas–Fort Worth-area course, designed by Steve Smyers (who also designed Cypress Lakes in Australia) and opened in 2017, tips out at 7,148 metres (7,817 yards) and has previously played host to the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball among various top level amateur events. During early 2020, when COVID stopped play on the PGA Tour, course owner Albert Huddleston hosted tour pros for two 54-hole tournaments that doubled as charity fundraisers won by Scottie Scheffler and Brandon Wu.

“Our LIV Golf players are looking forward to playing in the Dallas–Fort Worth area with its great golf tradition,” said LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman in a press release.

The LIV Golf Team Championship will be held from September 20-22, employing the same knockout format it has the past two seasons, when it was played at Trump National Doral in Miami, to produce a team winner for 2024. The competition will be a mix of team strokeplay and matchplay.

All 13 LIV teams will compete, with the top three receiving first-round byes and automatically qualifying for the semi-finals. The remaining 10 teams will play in five quarter-final matches on the Friday, with match-up determined during a live drawing of team captains during tournament week. The five winners advance to the semi-finals, with the semi-final winners competing for the team title on the Sunday. The winning team will take home $US14 million.

A year ago, Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri led Crushers GC to the team title. The Crushers are first in team points so far in 2024, followed by Legion XIII, the league’s expansion team captained by Jon Rahm. In third place is Ripper GC, the all-Australian squad led by Cameron Smith.

The post LIV Golf names Maridoe Golf Club in Texas as site for 2024 Team Championship appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Francois Nel]

Anthony Kim went 12 years without hitting a professional golf shot in a self-imposed timeout, and his lifestyle and whereabouts were largely unknown to the outside world. His golf game has been mostly quiet in his return on the LIV Golf circuit, but Kim apparently is warming up to the phone or laptop keyboard.

On Friday, Kim posted a venom-fuelled diatribe on X/Twitter about NBC Sports commentator Brandel Chamblee, who has been one of the most outspoken critics about LIV and its financial backers from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Kim’s post was probably in response to Chamblee saying on “Golf Central” on Thursday night that the PGA Tour coming to terms with PIF  “is the better end of the bargain at this point”.

Kim wrote, “Ramble Chamblee ur such a p—y 4 beating on ur chest & basically saying never retreat & hypocritically retreat. It is well known this talentless fool is disliked by most people in the golf world. U still gonna cover golf if @livgolf_league is involved?”

Now, Chamblee is a tough debate foe, given his knowledge and eloquence, so it’s not a surprise that the broadcaster, who was named this week to be in the booth for NBC’s coverage of next month’s US Open, would strike back against both Kim’s profanity and assertions.

This is about as inaccurate as a lot of Mickelson’s drives and sadly ironical coming two tweets after you asked for advice on raising your daughter that you would refer to someone as a female body part in a juvenile attempt to denigrate them. It’s clear that you were not offered… https://t.co/LVeSgfZenG

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) May 11, 2024

Chamblee concluded with, “Now why don’t you get back to doing what you formerly did best, which is to wow the world with your talent. I don’t like LIV for a lot of reasons, but I certainly enjoyed your golf and would love to see you playing anything like the semblance of the golfer you used to be.”

Kim, 38, won three times on the PGA Tour before leaving. After he signed with LIV this year as a “wildcard” in the team league, Kim has competed in five tournaments and has not finished better than 50th or recorded an under-par total over 54 holes.

The post Anthony Kim and Brandel Chamblee trade bitter barbs over LIV Golf appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

Last week

Brooks Koepka returned to the winner’s circle with a victory at LIV Singapore over our Aussies Cam Smith and Marc Leishman. Smith’s Ripper GC side also won the teams component of Singapore, their second LIV teams victory in a row. Smith’s teammate, Lucas Herbert, later became one of several golfers to be given special exemptions into the PGA Championship next week, among them was Talor Gooch – who has been vocal about LIV golfers’ access to the majors and the fact he will not tee up in 36-hole qualifying for US Open and Open Championship – and Dean Burmester.

This week

Another $US20 million event on the PGA Tour’s signature series and this one is the Wells Fargo Championship. It’s a ball-strikers course and you don’t necessarily have to putt amazingly, so look at big hitters, like Rory McIlroy, and defending champion, Wyndham Clark, if you’re having a punt. McIlroy is at $8, and this is his happy hunting ground given he’s won here three times. But I’ll be going with Clark. At $15, he’s still sitting just outside the odds he probably deserves. I think he’ll go back-to-back. His driving and iron play are suited to the big ballpark that is Quail Hollow. He’s also a good top-5 bet at $3.75. If you want a bit more value, look at 2019 winner Max Homa at $19 for a win or a top 5 at $4.50. Top Aussie has to be Cameron Davis at $3.6. He was right in contention during the Masters’ first two rounds and has great memories from his fantastic Presidents Cup performance at Quail Hollow in 2022.

Australians in the field: Jason Day (1:11am, AEST), Adam Scott (2:06am) and Cam Davis (2:17am)

Influencer classic?

People ridiculed the idea of offering a bunch of YouTube golfers the chance to qualify for a PGA Tour event, but I think it was a great idea. Pro golf is stale at the moment, and this is an opposite-field event. It needed some South Carolina hot sauce. There were YouTubers in that qualifier, names like Grant Horvat, Peter Finch, Micah Morris and George Bryan, who each have hundreds of thousands of followers. They had a chance to earn a spot at the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic via “The Q at Myrtle Beach”, a 16-player, 18-hole qualifier. Veteran Korn Ferry Tour pro Matt Atkins, who is from South Carolina, won the qualifier and will compete on the PGA Tour at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He cameos often in Bryan Bros Golf YouTube content, so it was fitting the qualifier came down to Atkins and George Bryan in a playoff.

Bets? Have a look at Matt Wallace. He’s been playing good golf and is $29 for a win, $6.50 for a top 5 and $3.6 for top 10.

Looking ahead to the PGA Championship

Brooks Koepka, who just won LIV Singapore, is $13 for Valhalla next week. Valhalla is a bomber’s course, like when McIlroy won in 2014 and Tiger Woods won in 2000. You have to hit it long, so $13 is pretty good odds for Koepka, the defending champion. Scottie Scheffler is an amazing player and will probably be in with a chance on Sunday, but $5 to win doesn’t interest me. Also, if you wanted to bet on an Aussie, I’d get on Min Woo Lee at $41. He’s had top 25s in his past two starts, including the Masters. His ball speeds regularly clock faster than 190 miles per hour, so he’s got the necessary firepower.

The post Tour wrap: This week, last week, PGA Tour and LIV Golf appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

The PGA of America officially announced the field list for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla on Tuesday. LIV golfer Talor Gooch couldn’t keep a secret, though.

Gooch took to social media to announce he received a special invitation on Monday, stating, “Looking forward to Valhalla next week! Thank you for the invitation PGA. See y’all there.”

Turns out, Gooch was far from the only LIV player to receive a special invite. Not counting those already exempt, six LIV golfers received special invitations, Gooch included. The most notable among them is Patrick Reed, a former Masters champion who has yet to win on the LIV Golf Tour despite playing on the Saudi-backed league since its second-ever event in 2022. On the strength of some solid performances on the DP World Tour and in the major championships, however, Reed remains inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

PGA Championship 2024: LIV’s Talor Gooch gets his wish – a spot to prove himself again in a major

Also receiving invites were Australia’s Lucas Herbert, Dean Burmester, Adrian Meronk and David Puig. Two of those players – Herbert and Meronk – are also inside the top 100 of the OWGR. Burmester is ranked 130th, but the South African won two DP World Tour events in late 2023 and picked up his first LIV victory at LIV Miami the week before the Masters. Both Herbert and Puig have finished inside the top 10 in four consecutive OWGR-sanctioned events.

The most glaring LIV omission is Louis Oosthuizen, who has not yet won on LIV but, like the four names mentioned above, has showed signs of very good golf in OWGR-sanctioned events as recently as February. That month, the former Open champ finished solo second at the International Series Oman, which was won by fellow LIV player Carlos Ortiz, who is also not in the PGA Championship field.

EXCLUSIVE: New Ripper GC star Lucas Herbert explains why he made the jump to LIV

Joaquin Niemann, who finished third in that event, is also in the PGA Championship field (he received his special invitation back in March).

Other notable LIV golfers who will not be in the field at Valhalla include Sergio Garcia, Mito Pereira and Abraham Ancer, among others. 

UPDATE: According to Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press, Oosthuizen was offered an invitation to play in the PGA Championship at Valhalla next week but turned it down due to personal commitments:

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