Amid Massive Ratings Drop, USGA’s Olive Branch for LIV Golf Gets Fans’ Stamp of Approval

Who knew even after getting rejected from OWGR, LIV golfers could enter the majors? No one thought of it when the news of rejection came. The only possible solution for LIV was to change the format. On the other hand, despite having everything as planned, the slow pace of play for the PGA Tour has affected the viewership.

Since the beginning of the 2025 schedule, the number of viewers has been falling, and even fans are frustrated with the long hours of play. Recently, the American Express saw a 56% drop in viewership. Not only this, even the Sentry saw a drop of 34% with just 431K viewers as compared to 2024 having 707K.  However, now that the league has started to cope with the issue with its second signature event i.e., AT&T Pebble Beach the first two rounds recorded the fastest play at the PGA Tour as per the match officials. The USGA is still unsure and not taking risks for the U.S. Open. Considering the downfall and fan demand, a new rule has been added for the major.

A recent post of Fore Play Podcast on Instagram has shared an update. The post shared, “The USGA just opened up a spot in the U.S. Open for the top LIV player who is not otherwise exempt (if they’re top 3 in LIV standings). They’ve also provided spots in final qualifying for the top 10 players in LIV standings who are not otherwise exempt.” The great news for the LIV golfers who are not exempted from the U.S. Open is that the top-spot golfer in the individual standing will get an exemption from the major. Additionally, the top 10 players golfers will also get an exemption for the qualifying rounds for the event.

The 2024 U.S. Open was one of the most intense matches, which even the 5.9 million viewers also felt. To maintain the standards and become the first major to take a step in the direction that fans wanted, the USGA has created an exemption for LIV Golfers. The player not exempted, but in the top three of LIV individual standings as of May 19 will get an exemption.

Currently, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Richard Bland, Cameron Smith, and Phil Mickelson are the exempt LIV golfers. However, if these names are among the top players, then no new player will get the exemption.

After the news of the exemption, Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf said, “We’re pleased that the USGA has formally created a new exemption for LIV Golf players to compete in the U.S. Open and appreciate Mike Whan’s leadership and commitment to growing the game of golf.”

Even the USGA chief championships officer, John Bodenhamer, said, “The USGA continues to evaluate the pathways that exist to ensure those playing their best have the opportunity to compete in our national championship.”

Additionally, from 2026, the USGA will offer exemption for the top 10 LIV golfers in the first stage of qualifying. Fans, since the division of leagues, have waited to have a combined player list in events. Now, with that seems to be happening, the comments section on the post is filled with joy and celebration.

Fans praising the new rule for the U.S. Open

The last event where players for LIV Golf and the PGA Tour competed was the Showdown. Fans have eagerly waited for the event and despite being a weekday event, it garnered 625,000 viewers. Now with the exemption, more players will hopefully get entry into the major, and fans are happy and expressing their joy.

One of the fans wrote, “Good for the US Open. Continues to be the best open in the world.” Even though the Masters is considered superior because of its history, the US Open with its new courses tests the skill set of golfers, making it one of the best in the world. With fans even praising it, the experience for the viewers is going to upscale.

Another fan joined in, suggesting a few tweaks as he commented, “Good, about time. I like the idea of top 5 in liv standings or won a liv event but this is a start!” Currently, the exemption is for top players. He even added a suggestion that the winner of the LIV event get an exemption.

Another netizen added, “Let’s go. No more complaining. Play well and earn your way in!” Celebrating the new criteria where winners will get the entry. As mentioned earlier, the winner or even the table toppers are not exempted from participating due to no OWGR ranking points awarded in LIV Golf events.

Other fans praised the new rule. As one wrote, “This is a good thing, not a bad thing👏,” while another wrote, “Huge.” This might be a step towards seeing the players of different leagues competing together at various events.

Despite the league division has led to a group of supporters for each league. The news has no negatives from the fans. Now, with the players from each league competing at the major, the experience for fans will be enhanced for sure. What are your thoughts on the new rule? Let us know in the comments below.