Participation in major tournaments was one of the main reasons for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger. In 2023, only 31 percent of the LIV Golf roster qualified for the US Open. In fact, there will only be 15 LIV Golf players eligible for the 2023 US Open, down 56 percent year-over-year.
For the last two years, there have been a lot of distractions going on in the world of golf. Prior to their recent merger announcement, both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf had been at a legal war. At one point, the Tour tried its hardest to keep LIV Golf players from the major championships.
Despite the two parties announcing a merge this week, LIV Golf players still had trouble qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open. While seven players made the cut through exemptions, others had to advance through different criteria like the Official World Golf Rankings and qualifying rounds.
In 2023, there were only 15 LIV Golf players eligible for the U.S. Open, down 56 percent compared to 2022, when there were 27 eligible LIV golfers.
Only 31% of LIV Golf Members Qualify for the 2023 U.S Open
Out of the 49 LIV Golf Members, only 15 qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open.
There were seven players in the league that received exemptions prior to qualifying which includes past major championship winners like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith, and more.
Four players from LIV Golf qualified via the Official World Golf Rankings for being among the top 60. Meanwhile, four other players secured their sports through the U.S. Final Qualifiers.
45% of LIV Golf Members Didn’t Even Attempt to Qualify for the 2023 U.S. Open
Surprisingly, this year there were 22 players in the LIV Golf Series that didn’t even bother attempting to qualify for the U.S Open. Of those 22 players, eight players competed in the event last year.
In total, there were 16 players that didn’t even attempt to qualify and six that entered but decided to not play in the qualifier. That means almost half the LIV Golf roster didn’t try to secure a spot at the U.S. Open, which is part of the reason for the 56% decrease in the league’s participation at the third major championship.
LIV Golf and PGA Tour Merger
There are at least nine players from last year that didn’t even bother trying to qualify for the 2023 U.S. Open, including Taylor Gooch, Paul Casey, Jediah Morgan, and more.
News broke recently that both the LIV Golf League and PGA Tour are set to merge, which will put an end to the ongoing legal battle. According to the statement, the two parties have agreed to merge under a new name, that has yet to be released.
The merge was far from inevitable for both leagues, as the LIV Golf and PGA Tour had their own difficulties throughout the season. For LIV Golf, regardless of the unlimited bankroll from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the league struggled with engagement and viewership in just its second season.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour was threatened by the new Saudi-backed golf series, which ultimately forced the PGA to increase purses for events in 2023. Now after Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship, the two leagues have agreed to merge.
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