Phil Mickelson has hit out at the USGA over a change made to exemption criteria that means Talor Gooch is no longer in next month’s US Open.
Gooch, the winner of the most recent two LIV Golf League events, believed he would be playing at Los Angeles Country Club after qualifying for the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship last year.
That was prior to him being suspended by the US-based circuit when he joined LIV.
Making an appearance on The 73rd Hole Podcast, Gooch claimed the USGA “retroactively” changed the wording of his exemption category to state that, in order to be exempt, players also had to be eligible to play on the PGA Tour.
“That was obviously disappointing because that changed rule only affected one person, which was me, so that was frustrating and tough,” said Gooch.
The USGA denied making that change “retroactively”, as Gooch had claimed, “but rather as a part of our annual review process and included within several other changes made to the criteria for the upcoming 2023 championship.”
Phil Mickelon, however, isn’t having it.
In response to another Twitter user pointing out that, if Gooch was one of the best golfers in the world, he would already have qualified, Mickelson added: “Yep. He qualified 9 months ago via Tour championship. 3 months ago Whan changed the wording on the qualifying criteria to take it away. Total d!*k move by Whan. He leads our governing body. Sad.”
The 123rd US Open takes places at Los Angeles Country Club June 15-18, 2023.