In a landmark shift for the professional golf landscape, LIV Golf athletes will now have direct access to major championships for the first time in the upstart league’s three-year history. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) have both recently announced new exemption criteria that explicitly include top performers from LIV’s individual standings.
The R&A revealed on Monday that the leading LIV golfer—who is not already exempt and finishes within the top five of LIV’s individual standings by the end of June—will be granted a spot in the 152nd Open Championship, set for Royal Troon in July. This move follows a similar decision by the USGA just a week prior, allowing the top-ranked LIV player (not already exempt) within the top three of LIV’s points list as of May 19 to qualify for the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
These announcements mark the most overt recognition yet of LIV Golf as a legitimate force in the global golf ecosystem.
A New Era of Inclusion
While LIV golfers have still competed in majors since the league’s inception—most notably Brooks Koepka’s win at the 2023 PGA Championship—those appearances were largely made possible by existing exemptions, such as past major victories or world ranking qualifications before joining LIV. The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) still does not award points for LIV events, creating a growing barrier for players without past accolades.
The new pathways created by the R&A and USGA cut through this roadblock, acknowledging the competitive merit of LIV’s top players. The move is not only pragmatic but reflects golf’s evolving reality, where multiple tours coexist—and increasingly, intersect.
What This Means for LIV Golfers
With these exemptions in place, players like Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann, and Dean Burmester—standouts in LIV’s individual race—now have renewed hope for major championship appearances without relying on past credentials or special invitations.
The decision also sends a signal to players considering a move to LIV that future access to the majors is no longer off the table. This could influence the dynamics of player movement between tours and potentially ease some of the tension in professional golf’s fractured structure.
A Step Toward Reconciliation?
Though these changes don’t signify full unification between LIV and the traditional tours, they do suggest a softening of once rigid positions. With ongoing discussions between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (which bankrolls LIV Golf), the majors may be laying the groundwork for a more inclusive future—one in which performance across tours determines access, not politics.
What’s Next?
Attention will now turn to the PGA of America and Augusta National Golf Club, which govern the PGA Championship and the Masters, respectively. Neither has announced LIV-specific exemptions to date, though LIV golfers have continued to participate based on prior qualifications.
As the 2025 major season approaches, these decisions by the USGA and R&A could become a turning point—both for the legitimacy of LIV Golf and for the broader vision of how golf’s elite competitions are shaped.
