Why These 6 LIV Golfers Are Playing For More Than Gold At The 2024 Olympics

As the fighting continues for LIV Golf players to get Official World Golf Ranking recognition or a direct passage into the Majors - there's even more for six of them up for grabs at the Olympics this week.

Jon Rahm is the biggest name of the seven LIV players taking part in the Olympics, but the Spaniard has a five-year exemption into all four of golf's biggest events following his 2023 Masters victory.

He can play at Augusta for life and has a 10-year pass into the US Open, and he'll hope to win at least another one before his exemption runs out for The Open and PGA Championship.

Of course, a deal may be done by then to either get OWGR points for playing in LIV Golf or, what seems more likely at the moment, a direct entry into the Majors for the top players on Greg Norman's team tour.

However, along with the huge honor of becoming Olympic champion and wearing that gold medal, the winner at Le Golf National this week will also gain access to all four Majors next year.

As one of the perks of winning a gold medal as a golfer is entry into all four men's Majors in 2025 - which would be huge for one of the six LIV golfers not named Jon Rahm this week.

Abraham Ancer and Joaquin Niemann have been two of the biggest voices from LIV calling for more access into Majors - with Chilean Niemann saying the situation was a "crisis" as he bemoaned having to run around chasing ranking points outside of LIV events.

"I feel like right now, there's a little bit of a crisis and things that have to be fixed," Niemann said in Paris.

Carlos Ortiz, Mito Pereira and David Puig would also relish getting into all of next year's Majors, while it would be another big bonus for Adrian Meronk.

The giant Polish golfer already has plenty of incentive, as he would win a two-bed flat among other things with a gold - although professionally playing in the Majors is the big one.

As Niemann put it though, it's the glory of golfing Olympic gold that is driving all the players on in Paris - even if Major exemption is obviously a massive bonus for LIV members.

"If you didn't have those four Majors for a win, I would have the same intensity," Niemann added. "I will have the same motivation to win. I mean, I feel like this is Olympics and got to focus more on winning medals than winning my way into the Majors."