Eighteen. Yes, that’s the number of LIV Golfers in the field of 156 golfers who will tee off at Royal Troon. It’s no secret that the journey to the majors for players of the breakaway league has been challenging, given their lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. However, efforts have been made to unify the fractured landscape of men’s professional golf, as seen in the previous major at Pinehurst. With all eyes on the last major of the year, the lack of LIV representation on the Scottish greens has once again grabbed headlines. Is R&A to blame for this?

NUCLR GOLF shared a post on X with the caption, which talked about R&A’s CEO, Martin Slumbers’s point of view on whether they have created enough opportunities for golfers from all over the world. To which he responded: “We used our Open qualifying series. We picked events that were available for all players. We used the Asian Tour, and we used final qualifying to create those opportunities”.

Last year, only 16 LIV Golf pros could pass the qualification criteria of the Open Championship and this year, that number has increased by just 2. Even though this is not at all a significant change, Slumbers had a positive stance on this as he said, “I think we have 18 players from LIV in the field, and I think we’ve got all the best players in the world. And that’s what we do want to have, all the best players in the world coming through. So I think we’ve created those opportunities.” 

Just like other majors, being a former champion of the Open Championship helps a professional secure a spot in the tournament if they are aged below 60 or under on July 21, 2024. Such exemptions are not only secured by champions; golfers who finished in the top 10 in the previous year’s edition also earn a place in the field at Royal Troon.

The other prominent qualifying rules unrelated to past performances in the oldest major include having an Official World Golf Ranking inside the top 50 or being a U.S. Open or Masters Tournament winner between 2019 and 2024. Additional exemptions include winning a PGA Championship between 2018 and 2024 or THE PLAYERS Championship between 2022 and 2024. Another qualification pathway is to be among the top 30 players in the 2023 FedEx Cup standings.

Out of the 18 LIV golfers, players like Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka secured spots due to their past scintillating performances. Bryson DeChambeau earned his ticket to Troon with his win at Pinehurst. Others, such as Abraham Ancer and Dean Burmester, battled through qualifiers to earn a place in the 2024 edition of the tournament. However, El Niño failed to find his way into the Open’s field for the second time in a row.

Sergio Garcia misses out on The Open Championship yet again

Sergio Garcia’s shift to LIV Golf has significantly impacted his pathway to majors. His last performance in the oldest major could easily be classified as lackluster, finishing T68. The 44-year-old came close to meeting one of the qualification criteria with his T12 finish at the 2024 U.S. Open, which also happened to be his best major result since winning the 2017 Masters.

Unfortunately, Garcia has never won the Claret Jug. As an LIV golfer, he’s also not eligible to earn FedEx points. Additionally, he has never won any major other than the Masters Tournament, and that too in 2017. Although Garcia missed qualifying for the Open Championship, his recent LIV win in Spain highlights his enduring talent and golf’s ongoing divide.

Do you think there have been noticeable changes made by the R&A to ease the qualifying criteria for LIV Golfers for the oldest major?