This week, the PGA of America published its field list for the 2024 PGA Championship, and 16 LIV golfers will be teeing it up at Valhalla Golf Club next week, headlined by defending champion Brooks Koepka.
The 16 LIV participants at the PGA matches the number who competed at Oak Hill last year, and is three more than the 13 who competed at Augusta National last month (the Masters’ field size is substantially smaller).
While LIV players remain eligible for majors, no governing bodies to date have offered a direct pathway through performance on LIV, meaning qualification is very difficult for those without previously existing exemptions.
The PGA of America did keep with its past practice of inviting players inside or around the top 100 of the world rankings who were not otherwise in the field, and several LIV players fell into that category this week: Adrian Meronk (63rd), Lucas Herbert (89th), Patrick Reed (92nd), David Puig (106th), and Dean Burmester (130th).
Talor Gooch, LIV’s individual champion last season, was also invited despite being ranked 644th.
This post tracks future major eligibility for all 55 golfers who have made a LIV start this year (the 52 players assigned to a team plus the 3 individuals who have competed so far). Updates will be made as necessary throughout the spring:
Past major champions with full major access (6)
Bryson DeChambeau (Won 2020 U.S. Open)
- U.S. Open through 2030
- Masters, PGA, The Open through 2025
Dustin Johnson (Won 2016 U.S. Open; 2020 Masters)
- Masters for life
- U.S. Open through 2026
- The Open through 2025
- PGA through 2024
Brooks Koepka (Won 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open; 2018, 2019 and 2023 PGA Championship)
- PGA for life
- Masters, U.S. Open through 2028
- The Open through 2027
Phil Mickelson (Won 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters; 2005 and 2021 PGA Championship; 2013 Open)
- Masters, PGA for life
- The Open through 2030 (when he will be 60 years old)
- U.S. Open through 2025
Jon Rahm (Won 2021 U.S. Open; 2023 Masters)
- Masters for life
- U.S. Open through 2031
- PGA, The Open through 2027
Cameron Smith (Won 2022 Open)
- The Open until age 60
- Masters, PGA, U.S. Open through 2027
Past major champions with some major access (7)
Sergio Garcia (Won 2017 Masters)
- Masters for life
Martin Kaymer (Won 2010 PGA Championship; 2014 U.S. Open)
- PGA for life
- U.S. Open through 2024
Louis Oosthuizen (Won 2010 Open)
- The Open until age 60
Patrick Reed (Won 2018 Masters)
- Masters for life
- PGA Championship in 2024 (special invitation)
Charl Schwartzel (Won 2011 Masters)
- Masters for life
Henrik Stenson (Won 2016 Open)
- The Open until age 60
Bubba Watson (Won 2012 and 2014 Masters)
- Masters for life
Past major champ whose exemptions have expired (1)
Graeme McDowell (Won 2010 U.S. Open)
Note: McDowell’s last major appearance came in 2020. The champion exemption for the U.S. Open is 10 years – by far the least favorable exemption for a past major champ. The Masters and PGA are “for life,” while The Open allows past champs to play until age 55 (reduced from age 60 starting in 2024 for all future Open champions).
Left for LIV in 2024 with exemptions already sealed (2)
Tyrrell Hatton
- 2024 Masters: Qualified for 2023 Tour Championship; OWGR top 50 at the end of 2023
- 2024 PGA: Finished T-15 in 2023 PGA
- 2024 U.S. Open: Qualified for 2023 Tour Championship
- 2024 Open: Top 30 in 2023 Race to Dubai and FedExCup standings
Adrian Meronk
- 2024 Masters: OWGR top 50 at the end of 2023
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
- 2024 U.S. Open: Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from 2023 Race to Dubai
- 2024 Open: Top 30 in 2023 Race to Dubai standings
Exemption(s) earned while on LIV through non-OWGR based criteria (4)
Dean Burmester
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
- 2024 Open: Won Joburg Open on DP World Tour in Nov. 2023 (part of Open Qualifying Series)
Talor Gooch
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
Joaquin Niemann
- 2024 Masters: Special invitation
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
- 2024 Open: Won ISPS Handa Australian Open on DP World Tour in Dec. 2023 (part of Open Qualifying Series)
David Puig
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
- 2024 Open: Won IRS Prima Malaysian Open on DP World Tour in Feb. 2024 (part of Open Qualifying Series)
Earned invitation through OWGR criteria (2)
Lucas Herbert
- 2024 PGA: Special invitation
Andy Ogletree
- 2024 PGA and Open: 2nd on OWGR International Federation Ranking exemption (top 3 are exempt into 2024 PGA and top 5 are exempt into 2024 Open)
Not currently exempt into any majors, slim prospects outside of open qualifying (33)
- Abraham Ancer
- Richard Bland
- Laurie Canter
- Paul Casey
- Eugenio Chacarra
- Branden Grace
- Sam Horsfield
- Charles Howell III
- Matt Jones
- Anthony Kim
- Jason Kokrak
- Jinichiro Kozuma
- Anirban Lahiri
- Danny Lee
- Marc Leishman
- Sebastian Munoz
- Kevin Na
- Carlos Ortiz
- Mito Pereira
- Pat Perez
- Thomas Pieters
- Ian Poulter
- Kalle Samooja
- Brendan Steele
- Caleb Surratt
- Hudson Swafford
- Cameron Tringale
- Peter Uihlein
- Harold Varner III
- Kieran Vincent
- Scott Vincent
- Lee Westwood
- Matthew Wolff
