Former LIV Golfer Makes It Through First Stage Of PGA Tour Q School

Currently, players all round the United States are vying for a chance to play on the biggest professional Tour in the world, with the PGA Tour Qualifying School providing golfers with an opportunity to make their way on to the circuit.

On Friday, play at the final stage sites concluded, with a number of players making their way through the first section of Q-School. One of those players was Turk Pettit, a former LIV Golfer who finished at -10 at Montgomery, Texas, to advance through to the next stage.

Despite the news of a recent merger between the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour, LIV Golfers are still banned from playing PGA Tour events, with the ban put in place following the opening tee shots at LIV Golf London in June 2022.

However, according to reports, Pettit, who played in all eight LIV Golf tournaments in 2022 with his best finish at tie for sixth, has been cleared again to compete in PGA Tour sanctioned events.

The 2021 NCAA individual champion, who is no longer listed amongst the LIV Golf roster and resigned his PGA Tour membership prior to joining LIV, carded rounds of 67, 68, 73 and 70 to make it through by three strokes, with the American now moving on to one of five second-stage events, which will take place either 14 - 17th November or 28th November - 1st December. 

As mentioned, Pettit's best result in the LIV Golf League came at LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster, where he finished in a tie for sixth. Aside from the top 10 finish, the 24-year-old primarily struggled on the circuit, with his best results including a T27 and a T38.

Finishing 44th, 45th and twice 46th in the other four events, he was ultimately dropped for the 2023 LIV Golf season, with the American then primarily plying his trade on the Asian Tour circuit. Even there though, Pettit has struggled, making 16 starts and securing just one top 10 finish. He has also missed seven cuts.

Whilst playing in LIV, Pettit was part of the Niblicks GC side which, for 2023, became the Range Goats GC. Captained by Bubba Watson, Pettit was left out of the side in favour of Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III and eventual 2023 LIV Golf Individual winner, Talor Gooch. 

Back in September, LIV golfers featured at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour, with Louis Oosthuizen, Talor Gooch, Peter Uihlein and Hudson Swafford all making appearances in the tournament.

Many wondered why the LIV quartet were able to feature and, in the end, it was because the players were either never members of the DP World Tour or resigned before joining LIV Golf.

Essentially, neither Gooch nor Swafford have ever been members of the Tour, while Uihlein resigned three years ago and Oosthuizen handed in his notice before the first LIV Golf event in 2022.