Furious at LIV Golf Defects, British Open could change entry rules


ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The British Open organizers on Wednesday issued a specific warning that it could change its entry rules for future tournaments – potentially complicating the prospects of the red wine pitcher of players defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV golf series.

Although the R&A, which governs the Open, has yet to make a decision on how to add players to the 156-strong field in 2023 and beyond, the organization’s chief executive, Martin Slumbers, left open the possibility that the Road to one of golf’s most sacred tournaments could soon be postponed.

“We will be reviewing our exceptions and qualifying criteria for the Open,” Slumbers said at a press conference in St Andrews on the eve of the Open’s start at the Old Course. “We reserve the right to make changes from previous years,” he added.

“Players have to earn their place at the Open and that’s fundamental to their ethos and unique global appeal,” said Slumbers, who did little to hide his disdain for the LIV series, which he described as “completely money-driven.” condemned. and threatens “the merit-based culture and spirit of open competition that makes golf so special.”

Still, he signaled that a blanket ban on players was “not on our agenda.”

Slumbers denied that R&A coordinated with organizers of the other major golf tournaments to potentially ban LIV players, which include Brooks Koepka, Sergio García, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed. But the chief executive of the United States Golf Association, which controls the US Open, said in June that the group would be “re-evaluating” the criteria it uses to set the tournament’s field.

The PGA of America, which governs the PGA Championship, has also signaled its disdain for the LIV series, which has offered players millions of dollars in guaranteed money to compete in 54-hole no-cut tournaments with shotgun starts to participate. The Augusta National Golf Club, which organizes the Masters tournament by invitation only, has so far remained silent about its intentions.

The R&A publishes a long list of ways for players to qualify for the Open, which will be held at Royal Liverpool next year. Options this year included a place in the top 50 of the official golf world rankings on a specific date.

The group that oversees the official World Golf Ranking system said Tuesday that LIV Golf, which gets much of its funding from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, asked for “inclusion” this month and is beginning to review the application .

The British Open organizers have been trying hard this week to draw attention to the 150th tournament. But the turmoil surrounding LIV has kept creeping in. Over the weekend, the R&A admitted it had not invited Greg Norman, LIV’s chief executive, who twice won the Open, to this year’s St Andrews celebrations.

And on Tuesday, Tiger Woods used a press conference to denounce LIV.

“What these players do for guaranteed money, what’s the incentive to practice?” asked Wald. “What’s the incentive to go out there and make it in the dirt? You just get paid a lot of money up front and play a few events and play 54 holes.”

The players who made the move to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour, which was under investigation by the Justice Department for their efforts to maintain the roster of golfers, “turned their backs on what allowed them to get to that position,” said woods