13 LIV golfers represented the breakaway side at Augusta National, down from last year’s 17. The downtrend looks to continue at the PGA Championship as well. Despite LIV adding a few more stars to its roster, around 15 players will tee off at Valhalla. Brooks Koepka returns as defending champion. Two of his LIV teammates, Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer, will also tee off as past champions.

Whereas, three others are exempt as past major winners: Jon Rahm for the 2023 Masters, Dustin Johnson as the 2020 Masters champion, and Bryson DeChambeau as the 2020 US Open winner. Aside from the usual suspects, here are four others who will also carry the LIV flag at Valhalla.

Joaquin Niemann

Niemann’s efforts outside the LIV Golf didn’t elude the major organizers’ eyes. First, Augusta National extended an invitation to the 25-year-old Chilean. Eventually, Niemann was also invited to the PGA Championship.

He was the first LIV Golf pro to receive a special exemption, opening doors for Talor Gooch and David Puig. Currently, the No. 1 player in LIV Golf’s individual standings, Niemann, has bagged two titles and an additional four top-10s.

Trending

Scottie Scheffler Case: Controversial Update Against Arresting Officer Sparks Massive Outrage in Golf World

May 18, 2024 06:49 PM EDT

‘Rattled’ Scottie Scheffler Reveals Police Officer’s Unsettling Question That Left Him Speechless

May 17, 2024 10:07 PM EDT

2024 Amundi German Masters: Prize Money Purse & Winner’s Payout Explored

May 19, 2024 03:05 AM EDT

PGA Tour Rumors: Unproven Scottie Scheffler Felony Charge Pushes Louisville Police Department in Hot Water

May 18, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

Hours After Crucial Bodycam Report, Scottie Scheffler’s Arrest Case Takes a Riveting Turn

May 19, 2024 03:11 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest Golf stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Talor Gooch

Talor Gooch received a special invite from the PGA of America on May 6. This is Gooch’s first such exemption. Last year, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship. Interestingly, Gooch has slipped from 63rd in OWGR to 644th this year.

Gooch had won only once on the PGA Tour from 123 starts but sniffed victory three times on LIV Golf last year. This season, the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Champion has four top-10s, the last of which came in Singapore. The Oklahoma star clarified he won’t tee off at the US Open qualifiers.

David Puig

Like his former team captain, Puig has teed off at multiple Asian Tour events, amassing top 10s, most recently at the Saudi Open. The Arizona State alum received a special exemption from the PGA of America for Gooch. This will be his first PGA Championship and only second career major. 

Last year, Puig finished T23 at the US Open. The Spaniard’s LIV form hasn’t been impressive this season. Only two consecutive T15s shine through outside the top-20 finishes. Other than the PGA Championship, Puig is qualified for the Open Championship thanks to his IRS Prima Malaysian Open triumph. 

Tyrrell Hatton

LIV Golf’s latest signee is already qualified for the PGA Championship. The Englishman had a T-15 last year, which makes him eligible to tee off at Valhalla. Hatton was T9 at the Masters and has a top-20 finish in each one of his LIV appearances. 

Aside from these four, Lucas Herbert and Adrian Meronk are also likely to gain entry into the PGA Championship. The Ripper GC man is currently ranked 89th in the OWGR. Herbert will join Cameron Smith at Valhalla unless he falls out of the top 100. Meronk is likely to qualify via the OWGR route; he is 63rd in the OWGR. Andy Ogletree, Mickelson’s teammate at HyFlyers, will qualify based on the International Federation Official World Golf Ranking list, where he is second behind Japan’s Keita Nakajima.