Players competing in the LIV Golf International Series are officially allowed to compete in the Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland in July.
LIV Golf, an upstart league with Australian golf star Greg Norman at the forefront, has been a topic of controversy in the golf world recently. Along with posing a competitive threat to the long-standing PGA Tour, LIV has received Saudi funding and has planned stops at two courses owned by Donald Trump.
Brooks Koepka is the most recent golf star to ditch the PGA Tour in order to join LIV Golf. Other big names joining the organization include Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed. (RELATED: REPORT: Brooks Koepka Is Joining LIV Golf)
Unlike the PGA Tour, the 150th Open at St. Andrews, which is hosted by the R&A and is set to take place July 10-17, will allow LIV golfers to compete. The United States Golf Association (USGA) previously announced that it would allow LIV golfers to compete at the U.S. Open at Brookline, which took place last week.
“We are focused on staging a world-class championship in July and celebrating this truly historic occasion for golf,” Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said. “We will invest the proceeds of The Open, as we always do, for the benefit of golf which reflects our purpose to ensure that the sport is thriving 50 years from now.”
While LIV seems to be gaining popularity with many top golfers, world No. 4 Collin Morikawa has pledged his loyalty to PGA.
To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the @PGATOUR and nothing has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some cereal to pour in my milk
— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 21, 2022
Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy also expressed a disinterest in competing in LIV earlier in June.
“I certainly—it’s not something that I would do personally. But I certainly understand why some of the guys have went, and it’s something that we are all just going to keep an eye on and see what happens over these next few weeks,” McIlroy said.
The next stop on the LIV golf schedule is the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon, from June 30 to July 2.