Amid Increasing Rumors, Are PGA Tour Pros Allowed to Play in LIV Golf’s Qualifying Event?

The LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger is vying for a conclusion by the December 31, 2023, deadline. Before the final verdict, the PGA Tour’s recent announcement came as a shock to many. 

Previously, any professional golfer playing in a LIV Golf event would have his PGA Tour Card suspended. However, now the prestigious tour has announced that players are free to play the qualifying LIV Golf event next month. 

PGA Tour pros granted participation in LIV Golf promotions

In 2022, LIV Golf made its debut. Notable golfers like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and many others participated in its first event. Soon after, the PGA Tour dispensed those involved in the event. Further, it ruled that anyone participating in the unauthorized LIV league could not compete in the PGA Tour.

Now, the LIV Golf is commencing its first event of the 2024 season with a qualifying tournament. The LIV Golf Promotions from December 8-10 will offer seats to relegated and new players from various tours. There were speculations that we would not see any PGA Tour golfers, fearing suspension.

A PGA Tour spokesperson has now announced that golfers participating in the one-of-a-kind LIV Golf qualifying event will not face repercussions from the PGA Tour this time. He said, “Based on the information publicly available regarding the LIV Golf Promotion event, it is determined to be a qualifying event only and not a part of an unauthorized series. Therefore, the LIV Golf Promotion event is not categorized as an ‘Unauthorized Tournament.’ “

However, he clarified that “This classification is subject to change should the details of the event change.” There has been no confirmation of what happens if a player qualifies for the LIV Golf league. The obvious answer is he probably will lose the Tour card. But what about the golfers out of the PIF-backed league?

Turk Pettit’s Q-School appearance is a ray of hope for many

Turk Pettit participated in all eight official events of the LIV Golf in 2022. He was part of the Niblicks GC, revamped to be RangeGoats GC. At the end of the 2022 season, Pettit’s team was broken apart and replaced by different golfers. He found himself out of the team, the league, and without a job. Pettit started playing on the Asian Tour. 

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Recently, he played in PGA Tour Q-school events. This sparked a question: are players relegated from the breakaway league now eligible to play in the PGAT Q-School? To clear the confusion, the tour’s rules state, “Any player who has participated in an unauthorized tournament is ineligible to compete in any event sanctioned by the PGA Tour for a period of one year from the final round of competition of the unauthorized tournament in which he participated.”

Pettit last played in the “unauthorized league” last October and it has been nearly a year since then. The time allowed Pettit to continue his golf journey on the PGA Tour once again. If Pettit becomes one of the five players to qualify, he will surely be seen playing in the PGA Tour 2024 season. The year-end merger will bring about many changes that may alter the game of golf entirely. 

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