USGA 'Very Seriously' Considering Bespoke US Open Qualifying Route For LIV Golfers

The USGA has confirmed it is "very seriously" considering a bespoke qualifying pathway for players involved in the LIV Golf League "at some point."

Currently, LIV is not able to offer world-ranking points and it appears as though that will not change given the league's decision to withdraw its application earlier this year.

As a result, players who are not already exempt into Majors still need to enter sectional qualifying or hope their play attracts a special invite from the respective championship's board.

Heading into the US Open later this month, only 12 pros from the PIF-funded circuit were locked into the preliminary field at Pinehurst No.2 - nine of whom were already exempt.

Three players - Eugenio Chacarra, David Puig, and Dean Burmester - made it through US Open qualifying over the past fortnight, while star names such as Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann will not tee it up in the third men's Major of the season after narrowly missing out in their respective qualifiers.

With a lack of obvious progress being made by the PIF and PGA Tour in terms of bringing top-level men's pro golf back together again, it appears as though the Majors are taking matters into their own hands so as to avoid weaker fields.

John Bodenhamer - Chief Championship Officer of the USGA - told Golf Channel on Monday that he and his peers are looking at all options moving forward, including the introduction of a qualifying system especially for LIV golfers.

He said: "From the beginning, we’ve been open - [if] you earn your way in, you get to play, whether it’s through qualifying or exemption as the past champion.

"You know, we’ve watched what is happening in professional golf unfold and we’ve seen a lot of good players go over to LIV, and so we’re thinking a lot about it, we’ve talked a lot about it. 

"I think it’s reasonable to expect that at some point, yes, we would create a pathway or someway that we would get those great players, give them an opportunity to be unified again.

"We get a lot of them, and there will be a lot that will play this week through exemption, a number of past champions and qualifiers so, yeah, I think we’re looking very seriously at that.”

Bryson DeChambeau is one of several LIV players - along with Niemann and Talor Gooch - who has previously spoken out about the potential to bring in a special qualifying route for the big four championships through the LIV Golf League.

The 2020 US Open champion is eligible for all Majors through 2025 anyway but could soon start to see his chances of further starts dwindle if another trophy or cluster of high finishes is not achieved.

Discussing the subject ahead of LIV Golf Washington DC in May 2023, DeChambeau suggested there was a simple solution to ensure the Majors were not devoid of the best LIV players.

He said: "There’s been numerous ideas brought up. One that we’re all looking at right now, at least from my perspective and what I’ve heard so far, is just creating an exemption category for LIV players based on how they play during the course of the year.

"That would be the most fair and opportune thing for LIV golfers considering the fields that we have, the major champions we have, and the elite level of play that we have each and every week. If they’re able to do that, I think everything is good.

"The OWGR points, we’ve gone so far down the list now that it’s really difficult to make us even relevant. That was part of their play, which is fine. It is what it is. But I think there’s another route to the majors.”

The 2024 US Open takes place at Pinehurst No.2 between June 13-16.