LIV Golf members can now play their way into a second major championship.
The R&A announced Monday that the leading player not already exempt in the top five of the LIV Golf individual standings through its Dallas event in late June will get a spot at the British Open in July at Royal Portrush.
Last week, the United States Golf Association announced that one player in the top of three of LIV’s points through its first seven events, not otherwise exempt, will earn a spot in the championship at Oakmont in June. At next year’s U.S. Open, the top player among the top three from the final 2025 standings along with the top player in the top three of the spring 2026 standings, not otherwise exempt, will qualify.
“The Open is a global championship for the best men’s golfers and each year we review our exemptions to ensure that we offer pathways into the Championship based on results achieved on the leading professional tours,” R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said in a statement.
“We acknowledge that players competing in LIV Golf should also have the opportunity to secure places in The Open through its individual season standings as well as existing pathways.”
For LIV Golf, the two major announcements are a validation of sorts as the Saudi-backed league has lobbied for years to have pathways into the majors.
“We thank Mark Darbon for his leadership and the R&A for taking this step for the benefit of moving golf forward,” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said in a statement. “The acknowledgement that competitors from the LIV Golf League and The International Series will have the opportunity to play in golf’s original major is a true testament to the strength of fields and the R&A’s commitment to golf fans around the world.”
The International Series in Asia has financial backing from LIV Golf and will award Open spots through three of its events.
Eleven LIV players are already exempt into this year’s Open, including Bryson DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open winner), Tyrrell Hatton (2024 Race to Dubai top 25), Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters winner), Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA champion), Tom McKibbin (2024 Race to Dubai top 25), Phil Mickelson (2013 Open champion), Joaquin Niemann (2024 Race to Dubai top 25), Louis Oosthuizen (2010 Open champion), Jon Rahm (top 10 2024 Open), Cameron Smith (2022 Open champion) and Henrik Stenson (2016 Open champion).
If three of those players filled the top three spots of the LIV standings at the Open’s cutoff, no other player would qualify.
The Masters has not announced a separate pathway for LIV golfers, nor has the PGA Championship though it traditionally offers exemptions to all players inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking, which would include some LIV players.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as British Open Announces Spot for a LIV Golfer Starting This Year.
