After PGA Championship Flop Show, Talor Gooch Dragged Through the Mud by Golf World

Talor Gooch can’t find relief despite making the cut at the PGA Championship. The 2023 LIV Golf Player of the Year shot 70 and 71 through the first two rounds to card 1-under 141, just inside the projected cutline. His Friday round, after a significant delay of 80 minutes, started with a bogey on the par-4, 1st. Gooch picked another on the back nine along with a double on the par-4, 13th, to settle for a T67. 

Talor Gooch is playing at the second major of the season on a late invitation from the PGA of America. Gooch, along with his peers, have called for majors to find a way to include LIV golfers in the field. So far, there isn’t a direct route, unlike the PGA Tour. Referring to that, Gooch claimed before the Masters that a Rory McIlroy victory at ANGC would carry an asterisk without deserving LIV golfers on the field. He even put forth that majors do not recognize LIV Golf, and “hopefully the day will turn when the majors decide to start rewarding good play on LIV. Hopefully, that’ll be sooner than later.”

However, that call for recognition was coldly put aside by the Augusta National Chairman, Fred Ridley. The veteran justifying Joaquin Niemann’s invitation based on his off-LIV performance said they had no plans to create a pathway for LIV anytime soon. Instead, Ridley emphasized that they can invite deserving players, as they are invitational. That again put Gooch in the spotlight.

Notably, Gooch has yet to record a top-10 in the majors. His best show is a T-14 at the 2022 Masters. So, the PGA Championship offered a chance to shut the criticism down. While Gooch is safe at 1-under, he is among the players who are dead last to make the cut. Netizens don’t believe Gooch’s performance justifies his comments or his inclusion.

Netizens don’t make much of Talor Gooch making the cut

Greg Norman said last month, “Talor Gooch is the best iron player in the game of golf in the past 20 years that I’ve personally witnessed.” At Valhalla, the LIV Golfer was 48th in strokes gained approach, 92nd in strokes gain, and 87th in SG: tee to green. Gooch has hit 23 out of 36 greens in regulation throughout the two days. 

One user mocked, “I haven’t bothered to look at the PGA Championship leaderboard to see how big a lead Talor Gooch, the world’s best iron player, has on the field, but I have to assume he can coast in the last two days.” Another user commented, Talor Gooch is “stuck grasping at straws like “making the cut”. Dude so don’t have made it if not for that lucky eagle putt in round 1.”

Some also thought it was symptomatic of how LIV Golf officials hype up their stars. One fan also dragged Gooch’s peers, Dustin Johnson and Joaquin Niemann, commenting, “The last 2 rounds will be like the exhibitions they usually play in since they have zero chance of winning. Let’s add Joaquin to that list too.” DJ and Niemann are also tied at 67.

The Internet is also rife with comparisons between Wyndham Clark and Talor Gooch. More so because, at the Masters, Clark took a not-so-subtle dig at LIV Golf. However, the reigning US Open champion missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship, which gave Gooch an apparent upper hand. However, some were quick to point out that this will likely be his only major of the season, whereas Wyndham Clark would’ve had two more shots at the US Open and the Open Championship. 

“Fun fact: you likely won’t see Gooch at either the US Open or the Open. this year,” wrote one user. Gooch clarified that his decision to not play at any regional qualifiers for the National Open was due to scheduling conflicts. The Oklahoma star told Golf.com that he wanted to spend more time with his family. 

This year, 16 LIV golfers have teed up at Valhalla. Surprisingly, Jon Rahm will miss the cut after shooting 1-over 72 on Friday. The best performer on LIV Golf is Bryson DeChambeau, tying for 4th, utilizing strength with the driver to the fullest. The defending champion, Brooks Koepka, is at T11.