Always one of the most notable events on the DP World Tour's schedule anyway, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was given an extra profile boost in 2024 after it was confirmed that 14 LIV Golf League players would be joining the field this week, too.
Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick were already lined up as DP World Tour members anyway, and they will be joined by Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, as well as Team USA's Brooks Koepka.
But how is it possible that so many LIV golfers have been included? Especially as, in the case of the overwhelming majority, they are not DP World Tour members.
Koepka received an invite to the event which culminates at St Andrews Old Course on Sunday - a place he called his favorite in the world - while active members Rahm and Hatton are both appealing sanctions imposed on them by the DP World Tour, allowing the pair the chance to continue playing on the Wentworth-based circuit and consequently ensuring their respective chances of making the 2025 Ryder Cup remain alive.
Hatton is due to compete in his forth DP World Tour competition of the season this week, the minimum threshold to ensure he retains his membership ahead of next year, while Rahm is due to tee it up in Scotland this week and at the Andalucia Masters in his home country later this month in order to achieve the magic number.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton at the 2023 Ryder Cup
As far as the other 11 go, Patrick Reed is an honorary member of the DP World Tour but did not meet his minimum event requirement last year so is not a current ranked member. However, the Texan has qualified for the Alfred Dunhill Links via category seven - in other words, courtesy of his top-10 at at the Open de Espana last week.
David Puig - who was in the final group at the Open de Espana last week - and Eugenio Chacarra are also non-members but were able to take their place in this week's field via category 0c - which is made up of the leading 10 available players from within the top-30 of the PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, and Asian Tour's respective final Order of Merit from the 2023/24 season.
The remaining LIV golfers - namely Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Caleb Surratt, Talor Gooch, Peter Uihlein, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford - have all received tournament invites via the the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Committee, run by Richemont.
Richemont's chairman, Johann Rupert is a South African billionaire who has long overseen the famous tournament in Scotland and believes unification is the best way forward for men's pro golf.
Johann Rupert (above) is chairman of Richemont
And having managed to assemble a cluster of the DP World Tour and LIV Golf's best players into one field, Rupert is essentially showing what the future of the game might look like should a deal involving the PGA Tour not be agreed.
Ultimately, every tournament could follow in Rupert's footsteps and include multiple LIV players as it remains the right of each individual organizer to invite whoever they want to play.
LIV Players In Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Field
- Jon Rahm
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Brooks Koepka
- Patrick Reed
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Dean Burmester
- David Puig
- Eugenio Chacarra
- Talor Gooch
- Peter Uihlein
- Branden Grace
- Matt Jones
- Hudson Swafford
- Caleb Surratt
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