LIV Golf stars urge majors to re-think qualifying criteria

1 week ago 5

One of LIV Golf’s biggest stars has urged the 4 majors to person a important re-think of their qualifying criteria oregon hazard having their tournaments “devalued” owed to the satellite rankings stalemate.

Former US Open victor Bryson DeChambeau, who finished tied sixth successful this month’s Masters, wants Augusta National, the PGA of America, United States Golf Association and the R&A to find a accelerated solution arsenic Greg Norman’s LIV Golf stars plummet down the satellite rankings.

DeChambeau’s ain five-year exemption to each 4 majors ends adjacent twelvemonth and helium faces an uncertain aboriginal successful golf’s biggest events unless a solution is found.

“I get it, I recognize radical are frustrated and I’m an advocator for large golf,” DeChambeau said.

“If large play is connected the apical of the database – say, Talor Gooch– helium should beryllium playing [majors]. Give america an exemption criteria for that.

“It’s disappointing to spot the non-action. What are radical complaining about? I’m not disquieted astir the OWGR [Official World Golf Ranking] immoderate more. It’s astir however bash we get these large golfers into the majors truthful their merchandise is enhanced and not devalued. I deliberation we’re an enhancement and not a devaluation.”

Bryson DeChambeau during the 2nd circular of LIV Golf Adelaide.

The 4 majors have, truthful far, refused to output from their existing criteria, which mostly relies connected the authoritative satellite rankings to find fields.

But with LIV having withdrawn their satellite rankings application, the likes of Brooks Koepka (36), Australia’s apical prima Cameron Smith (53), DeChambeau (113), Phil Mickelson (153), Dustin Johnson (356) and Sergio Garcia (689) person plummeted down the satellite rankings and, successful coming years, volition look greater trouble qualifying for majors.

Talor Gooch plays connected the 12th spread astatine The Grange Golf Club.

Smith has lone a scant accidental of earning 1 of 2 Australian spots for the Olympic Games unless helium tin triumph a large earlier Paris.

PGA Tour regulars Jason Day and Min Woo Lee are safely wrong the world’s apical 50 and person indicated a tendency to vie successful the Olympic Games portion they proceed to regularly accrue rankings points.

Talor Gooch, who topped Smith to beryllium crowned LIV Golf’s idiosyncratic champion past year, wasn’t invited to this month’s Masters and said earlier the lawsuit the victor should person an asterisk adjacent to their sanction fixed it would beryllium missing respective LIV stars.

Gooch is present ranked 602 successful the satellite having joined LIV successful 2022.

“Unfortunately, it’s governmental truthful there’s nary magic solution,” Gooch said of the majors dilemma aft different bumper time astatine LIV Golf Adelaide astatine The Grange Golf Club connected Saturday.

“I deliberation the champion players successful the satellite should beryllium playing successful the majors, and it’s evident we person a clump of the champion players successful the satellite retired here.

“There’s got to beryllium a mode to reward guys who vie and play great.”

Ryder Cup fable Ian Poulter’s satellite ranking has plunged truthful acold he’s connected the cusp of exiting the world’s champion 500 golfers.

“It’s nary involvement to maine astatine all,” Poulter said. “It’s dormant to me. Absolutely irrelevant. I utilized to look astatine it weekly, but I haven’t looked astatine successful 2 years.”

Poulter did permission the doorway unfastened to 1 time rejoining Team Europe successful a skipper oregon assistant’s relation contempt saying helium ticker past year’s triumph implicit the United States successful Rome arsenic a fig of seasoned European stars committed to LIV.

“I volition ne'er play different Ryder Cup,” Poulter said. “My playing days are finished.

“I’d emotion to beryllium a helping hand, but things would person to change. I’m not comfy with what happened and the mode things happened, and what’s been said. There volition person to beryllium immoderate signifier of alteration oregon bridges rebuilt successful immoderate way, signifier oregon form. Then, possibly I would see it.”