Talor Gooch will be MIA at the US Open this year as well. Last year, the 2023 LIV Golf Player of the Year refused to sign up for the US Open qualifiers, expressing his frustration at the USGA for changing the criteria. This time, too, the plan remains the same, the Oklahoma star stated. 

Gooch, notably, didn’t receive a Masters exemption like his LIV peer, Joaquin Niemann. Currently not exempt from any Major, the 32-year-old was rather brief in his response when asked about his US Open plans this year. 

Gooch’s schedule doesn’t include US Open qualifiers

In the Smash GC press conference ahead of LIV Golf Singapore, except for the team captain, all three team members were asked about their US Open qualification plans. Both Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell are planning to tee off at the local qualifiers. The two LIV golfers will also vie for a spot at the Open Championship. 

Kokrak signed up for Columbus on June 3, before heading to Manchester for the Open Championship qualifier. G-Mac, on the other hand, has entered the Houston field for the US Open qualifier. For the Open Championship, McDowell will head to South of London in July. Asked if he is also planning for the same, Gooch had a short reply. “I’m not.” 

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Local qualifying tournaments are held across 109 sites in the US and abroad. Qualified players from the 18-hole tournaments will then have to tee off at the 36-hole final tournament, which will be held in ten venues across the country. 

Talor Gooch had played the US Open twice; a 66 in 2017 was followed by a missed cut five years later. His best Major performance is a T14 at the 2022 Masters. This will be the second year Gooch has snubbed the US Open. Last year, it was part of major controversies as the LIV Golf Pro alleged that USGA deliberately changed the criteria to rub salt into his wounds. 

Talor Gooch and US Open: an ongoing saga

Last year, the USGA made a slight tweak to its exemption rule. Historically, the Tour Championship qualifiers have found a spot in the US Open. Per last year’s change, the player had to be ‘eligible’ to play in the PGA Tour as well. 

Asked if that influenced his decision to snub the sectional qualifying, the Oklahoma resident said, “A little bit of that. Also, our (LIV) schedule is busy, locked up right now. If I didn’t qualify via world ranking, I just felt like we have a lot of tournaments coming up. It’s time to focus on that.”

The USGA, however, explained later that it was part of the annual review process. At that time, Gooch praised Augusta for keeping the rule the same. But ANGC changed the rule next month, and Gooch didn’t get a special exemption to the Masters this year. 

Contrarily, Fred Ridley offered Joaquin Niemann an example for determining the special exemptions. “I mean, a great example is this year Joaquin Niemann was given a special invitation. We felt that Joaquin had not only a great record coming up to this year, but after his season, he went to Australia, played very well there, finished fourth in the Australian PGA, won the Australian Open, one of the great, great championships in the world.” Talor Gooch will tee off at LIV Golf Singapore. In all likelihood, he has to sit out the week his peers will head to Valhalla for the PGA Championship as well.