Current major eligibility list for all LIV Golf players

March 27, 2024

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With LIV Golf in its third season of competition, and the major championships beginning in a couple of weeks, the subject of major eligibility for LIV players is big topic of conversation.

Barring withdrawals, there will be 13 current LIV players competing at the Masters Tournament: Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Adrian Meronk, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Cameron Smith and Bubba Watson.

Augusta National, the USGA and the R&A have all published their exemption criteria for 2024, with the PGA of America yet to make its announcement.

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 best remaining opportunity for this year is open qualifying for both the U.S. Open and The Open. Last year, seven LIV players successfully made it through qualifying – four for the U.S. Open and three for The Open.

This post, courtesy the Golf Channel research department, tracks future major eligibility for all 55 players who have competed in a LIV event in 2024 (the 52 players assigned to a team plus the three individuals who have competed so far). Updates will be made as necessary throughout the spring.

Note: References to eligibility for the PGA Championship are based on last year’s criteria

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

Note: Of these players, only Johnson – who is entering the final year of his PGA Championship eligibility – is not exempt into every major for at least two more seasons.

Past major champions with some major access (7)

Sergio Garcia (Won 2017 Masters)

Martin Kaymer (Won 2010 PGA Championship; 2014 U.S. Open)

PGA for life
U.S. Open through 2024

Louis Oosthuizen (Won 2010 Open)

Patrick Reed (Won 2018 Masters)

Charl Schwartzel (Won 2011 Masters)

Henrik Stenson (Won 2016 Open)

Bubba Watson (Won 2012 and 2014 Masters)

Note: None of these players are secure inside the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking, so their chances of playing in majors for which they are not currently exempt is low, barring open qualifying (the PGA Championship has traditionally invited top 100 players who were not otherwise exempt).

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 U.S. Open: Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from 2023 Race to Dubai
2024 Open: Top 30 in 2023 Race to Dubai standings

Note: Meronk, 52nd in the world as of this post, is likely to gain entry into the PGA Championship as well.

Exemption(s) earned while on LIV through non-OWGR based criteria (3)

Dean Burmester

2024 Open: Won Joburg Open on DP World Tour in Nov. 2023 (part of Open Qualifying Series)

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 Open: Won IRS Prima Malaysian Open on DP World Tour in Feb. 2024 (part of Open Qualifying Series)

Not currently exempt into any majors, but favorable positioning on certain criteria (2)

Lucas Herbert

2024 PGA: Likely via traditional OWGR top 100 pathway; currently ranked 79th

Andy Ogletree

2024 PGA and Open: Likely via OWGR International Federation Ranking (currently second; top 3 were exempt into 2023 PGA and top 5 are exempt into 2024 Open)