With the majority of LIV Golf members falling down the Official World Golf Ranking since making the Saudi switch, a large group have been forced to turn to Open qualifying
Sergio Garcia is a one of 15 LIV Golf stars hoping to earn a place at this year’s Open Championship via final qualifying across four venues next week.
West Lancashire, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and Burnham and Berrow will play host to the 36-hole qualifier next Tuesday (July 2), with a minimum of 16 places up for grabs at Royal Troon for those competing. A number of members from the LIV setup have turned to qualifying, amid their recent woes with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Most notably, former Masters champion Garcia will compete in the 36-hole decider, with the Spaniard in the field at West Lancashire, a venue he knows well after agonisingly missing out on qualification for the 2023 event last summer.
He will be hoping for more success this time around, having missed out by three shots on the Wirral 12 months ago. Garcia will not be the only LIV star in action at West Lancashire, with Ripper GC star Marc Leishmann teeing it up. The Australian’s best performance at The Open saw him finish second behind Zach Johnson in 2015.
Joining Garcia and Leishman will also be Sebastian Munoz, Kieran Vincent, Carlos Ortiz, Jason Kokrak and Sam Horsfield. The other three venues will also play hosts to members of the breakaway league, with two LIV players in Peter Uihlein and Danny Lee heading to Scotland to compete at Dundonald Links.
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Kent will play host to a former major champion in Graeme McDowell, a year after the former U.S. Open champion failed to make the grade alongside Garcia at West Lancashire. McDowell will be joined by fellow LIV star Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, who booked a place at this month’s U.S. Open via qualifying, as well as Branden Grace.
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club will welcome the final three players from the Saudi-backed league, with Abraham Ancer, Anirban Lahiri, and LIV reserve Laurie Canter playing their 36 holes in Somerset. It is not just the LIV setup who are represented at final qualifying too.
A number of big names from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will also be on the hunt for an Open spot, most notably 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose, who will also play at Burnham and Berrow. At Royal Cinque Ports, Alex Noren – who finished tied-12th at last month’s PGA Championship will compete.
Another in-form PGA Tour star in Thomas Detry will take part, who has finished in a tie for fourth and tied-12th in the last two majors at the US PGA and US Open. Robert Rock – who called time on his playing career two years ago before qualifying for this year’s US Open – is on the hunt for another major start after entering the qualifier at Dundonald Links.
