The 16 LIV Golf stars in PGA Championship and how they were chosen to take part
The 156-man field for the second major of the year was confirmed earlier this month with some notable absentees, while 16 players from the LIV Golf Tour have been included
The organisers of the PGA Championship have shed light on the selection process that resulted in 16 LIV Golf stars being included in the second major of the year's lineup.
The finalised roster of 156 players was confirmed earlier this month. Since then, there have been some notable changes. The PGA Championship doesn't offer direct qualification routes for players based on their LIV results, meaning members of the breakaway tour must qualify either through their Official World Golf Ranking, previous major results or special invitations.
Certain players were assured their spots. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Martin Kaymer, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson qualified for the tournament thanks to exemptions from previous major wins, as detailed the Mirror US.
Tyrrell Hatton secured his place due to being ranked 20th in the world rankings, while Richard Bland is in the field owing to his victory at the Senior PGA Championship last year.
However, special invitations from the organisers mean Dustin Johnson, David Puig, Tom McKibbin, Patrick Reed, Dean Burmester, Sergio Garcia, John Catlin and Joaquin Niemann are also participating.
When asked about the decision-making process, PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague stated "it's about having the strongest field in golf", before chief championships officer Kerry Haigh provided further explanation.
Haigh articulated their inclusive approach stating: "I'm happy to answer it. Just as we have for many years, we look at every tour that's playing worldwide golf and try and identify the best players from those respective tours."
He added: "When we do that, we certainly look at points list or money lists or rankings and identify who we think are the better players.
"The committee meets and talks about whether or not we should offer them invites, which is why I think through that process we were able to get worldwide players from various tours.
"We use the Federation rankings, the top four from the Federation rankings are playing this week, as well as LIV, as well as the other countries.
"It's a worldwide field. That's why we feel it's the strongest field in golf because of that process where we look at all the different tours and try and include and invite those best players."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
Dustin Johnson chasing retro performance at Oakmont
June 9 - Nine Junes ago, Dustin Johnson captured his first major when he solved Oakmont Golf Club better than anyone else to claim the 2016 U.S. Open. As the Open returns to Oakmont for the first time since Johnson's triumph, the 40-year-old squints at the rugged layout in western Pennsylvania and sees a monster. He played the front nine Monday in preparation for Thursday's opening round. "The course is just as hard as I remember, if not harder," said Johnson, who finished at 4-under-par 276 in 2016 to defeat Jim Furyk, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Scott Piercy by three shots. When asked where Oakmont ranks on his list of hardest courses, the two-time major champion didn't hesitate. "Probably this one," he said. "I've played some hard courses, but it all depends on the conditions. This one's hard no matter what -- soft, firm, windy, no wind." Oakmont played at 7,219 yards in 2016, but the course has been lengthened to 7,372 yards for this season's third major. "It seems like it's tougher this time around, but that's just maybe with the little bit of added length," Johnson said. "But yeah, somehow I figured out a way to get it under par. It was mostly the driving. Obviously even driving it in the fairway here, it's still really difficult. But I hit a lot of good drives and a lot of good iron shots." As one of the first prominent players to jump to LIV Golf in June 2022, Johnson generally faces PGA Tour players only in majors. He has missed the cut in five of his last seven majors, which includes this year's Masters and PGA Championship -- though he might put asterisks next to those two. "Last two holes (at the Masters), bogey, double (bogey), to miss (the cut) by a shot, I think," Johnson said. At last month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Johnson fired rounds of 78 and 76 to miss the cut by 11 shots. "I know my score didn't reflect it at the PGA, but I actually played way better than the score," Johnson said. "I just struggled a little bit on the greens. Well, maybe that's an understatement. I struggled really bad on the greens." But his putter likely won't determine how well Johnson fares this week at Oakmont. Instead, it'll be his driver. "I have confidence in this golf course because I know I played well," Johnson said. "But obviously this week puts a lot of pressure on the driver. I feel like I'm driving the ball really good right now." Johnson is coming off a T10 finish at LIV Golf Virginia, his third top-10 showing of the season. He has three wins on that tour, most recently at Las Vegas in February 2024. --Field Level Media
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Reuters
Scottie Scheffler heavily backed favorite to begin U.S. Open week
June 9 - Scottie Scheffler has won three of his past four starts, including the most recent major at the PGA Championship, so it's little surprise that he began U.S. Open week as the heavy pre-tournament favorite. Scheffler's short odds aren't dissuading the public so far. The No. 1-ranked player in the world is being offered at +275 at DraftKings, where he leads the field with 31 percent of the total bets and 33 percent of the money backing Scheffler to claim his first U.S. Open title this week. The next closest is two-time U.S. Open winner and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has drawn 14 and 22 percent of the action, respectively, at +900. Interestingly, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy has received modest support with only 3 percent of the total bets and money while sporting the second shortest odds at +850. McIlroy won't his first Masters in April but missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open after posting a T47 at the PGA Championship. The story has been largely similar at BetMGM, where Scheffler is the book's biggest liability as he leads the way with 31.3 percent of the money backing him while he odds have shortened from +500 to +275. DeChambeau is the second-biggest liability thus far, drawing 16.7 percent of the money and seeing his odds shift from +1400 to +750. However, McIlroy remains firmly in the picture at BetMGM. He is the third-biggest liability, having been backed by 8.4 percent of the money at +1200. The Northern Irishman opened at +900. Also seeing his odds lengthen is Xander Schauffele, who has struggled to regain the form that saw him claim a pair of majors last year. He opened at +1100 to win the U.S. Open but was sitting at +2200 by Monday. Perhaps no player has seen a bigger shift than Brooks Koepka, the two-time U.S. Open champ who opened at +1800. Having failed to win on the LIV Golf tour this year while missing the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship, Koepka's odds at BetMGM have ballooned to +6600. Another popular choice at both books has been young Swedish star Ludvig Aberg. He has yet to win a major, although he did finish second at last year's Masters and T12 at the U.S. Open. Aberg, who has posted a part of top-20s since missing the cut at the PGA, has drawn 4 percent of the total bets and money at +3500 at DraftKings. He also sports somewhat longshot odds at +2500 at BetMGM, where Aberg has been backed by 5.6 and 3.9 percent of the action, respectively, since opening at +1600. --Field Level Media
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Bryson DeChambeau's US Open preparation with ‘fun side quests' on helicopter and racing Indy500 cars
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRYSON DECHAMBEAU has prepared for his US Open defence by hitting balls on the White House lawn, racing around in an Indy 500 car, and taking a helicopter ride to collect salt! He even took his golf clubs to the famous Indianapolis 500 racetrack - and smashed a ball a staggering 738 yards down the back stretch. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Bryson DeChambeau has given fans a glimpse into his life away from the course Credit: 6 He took a ride in a helicopter Credit: 6 He also fired a can out of a 'Bucked Up' launcher Credit: 6 He is preparing for the US Open Credit: But DeChambeau is so confident his unusual build-up will pay off at Oakmont this week, that he is already targeting a historic 'threepeat' at Shinneock next year. Only seven golfers have ever won back-to-back US Opens, and the only man to win three in a row was Willie Anderson - 120 years ago. But after taking advantage of Rory McIlroy's putting heebie jeebies to claim the title at Pinehurst last year, DeChambeau, who also won at Winged Foot in 2020, believes his big-hitting game is perfectly suited for the US Open challenge. He said: 'I'm always chasing history. Everybody is. We're all trying to accomplish feats that are unique or haven't been done in a long time. 'So going back-to-back would be great. But three in a row would be an even better accomplishment. So that thought is in the back of my head.' DeChambeau looked a vision of confidence and contentment as he treated the two million subscribers to his YouTube channel to a glimpse of his mind-boggling off-course escapades. He took advantage of the fact that the last week's LIV Virginia tournament was in Virginia - not far from the White House - to put in a call to President Trump, a close pal and regular playing partner. They played 18 holes at Trump's course in Virginia, before playing a converted par three on the White House's south lawn. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS That came hot on the heels of DeChambeau's Indy 500 visit, where he was driven around by Andretti Global star Kyle Kirkwood at speeds of over 180 mph, before unleashing a few monster drives down the tarmac. And the helicopter trip to the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where he also played 18 holes with a new sponsor, was another of the activities he describes as 'fun side quests'. Bryson DeChambeau appears to punch himself in the face repeatedly live on Sky Sports in bizarre PGA Championship moment 6 He took the pictures in front of a Tesla Cybertruck Credit: 6 He took a break from the helicopter in a scenic setting Credit: He also shared the banter he enjoyed with President Trump, who commented: "We play golf a lot together. It's not a very pleasant experience for me because I always consider myself a reasonably long hitter. 'My wife says, 'Are you as long as Bryson?' I say, 'Yeah, sorta, pretty close'. It's not close." But DeChambeau, 31, insists he has not been neglecting his golf regime. He also squeezed in a practice round at Oakmont last week, a course where a much punier version of the game's Incredible Bulk claimed a top twenty finish the last time it hosted the US Open, in 2016. DeChambeau described Oakmont as ' the toughest golf course in the world', but said he is ready for the challenge. He explained: 'How am I preparing for it? Just like I would any other tournament. 'Just like I did last year with Pinehurst: focusing on executing the right shots, hitting the fairways, and not three-putting. That's going to be a big deal. 'And keeping it out of the rough, which is five inches deep in places. Not much more than that. I try to keep it simple.' DeChambeau has proved he has the game to contend regularly in the Majors, especially the ones played in America. A missed cut at Royal Troon last year was the only time he failed to finish in the top six in the last half a dozen Majors, posting two runner-up finishes as well as his Pinehurst triumph. It is the sort of consistency LIV rival Brooks Koepka was producing when he became the most recent golfer to successfully defend the US Open title, in 2018. Koepka's response if his old sparring partner matches his achievement would probably not be printable!
