Topline
The head of the governing body overseeing the British Open, one of golf’s four major tournaments, said Wednesday that the organization doesn’t plan to ban golfers who defected to the controversial, Saudi-funded LIV Golf from future tournaments, though he did lay breadcrumbs for how LIV golfers could be kept out of majors in coming years.
Royal & Ancient CEO Martin Slumbers speaks to the media Wednesday.
Key Facts
Banning LIV Golf players is “not on our agenda” for next year’s British Open, Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of Royal & Ancient, said at a press conference ahead of the British Open teeing off Thursday in St. Andrews, Scotland.
However, Slumbers hinted that if LIV golfers are excluded from other qualifying events such as the PGA Tour, they might not be able to rank highly enough to be invited to play at the British Open.
Slumbers said the R&A “agenda” includes a “review [of] our exemptions and qualifications criteria,” a likely nod to LIV Golf’s outstanding application for its tournament to be recognized in the Official World Golf Rankings.
LIV Golf’s application may be doomed, as the group reviewing its request includes the heads of some of its biggest rivals, including Slumbers, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and the heads of the bodies overseeing golf’s other three majors.
If the application is indeed rejected, then most LIV Golf players, who are banned from PGA Tour events, will likely slowly start failing to qualify for majors.
The Official World Golf Rankings are calculated on a two-year rolling basis and are how golfers qualify for majors, save for exemptions for prior winners, such as the Masters guaranteeing lifetime qualifications for past winners like LIV Golf participants Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Charl Schwartzel.
Keeping LIV Golf players out of majors would deal a crushing blow to the upstart circuit, which the PGA Tour desperately needs, as many defectors, including Johnson and Mickelson, have expressed their strong desire to keep playing in majors.
Key Background
The U.S. Open and the British Open, the two majors taking place since the official start of LIV Golf last month, each allowed golfers from the new tour to participate in the tournaments. Still, three of the four major heads have condemned LIV Golf. Slumbers said Wednesday LIV Golf is “harming the perception” of the sport. USGA CEO Mike Whan said the new tour “isn’t good for the game” and he could “foresee” a day where the golfers are banned from the U.S. Open. PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, head of the PGA Championship, said he supports golf’s current ecosystem and called LIV Golf “flawed.” Will Jones, the executive director of the Augusta National Golf Club in charge of the Masters, has yet to comment on LIV Golf.
What To Watch For
If the Official World Golf Rankings board releases its decision on LIV Golf this week. The board met Tuesday to discuss LIV Golf’s application, according to ESPN. “If we get the OWGR points, then everything else takes care of itself,” LIV Golf CEO Norman said last month.
Further Reading
6 Numbers That Show How Saudi Money Forever Changed Golf (Forbes)
Feds Launch Probe Into PGA Over Response To Rival LIV Golf (Forbes)
Tiger Woods Rips Into LIV Golf: ‘I Just Don’t Understand It’ (Forbes)
