How can LIV players play in the PGA Championship?

The world of professional golf is in a state of flux. The traditional PGA Tour, with its long history and individual tournament payouts, is facing a challenge from the new LIV Golf circuit. LIV, backed by Saudi Arabia's wealth, offers players guaranteed contracts and a team format, shaking up the way the sport has functioned for decades. These two tours differ in key ways – money, format, and world ranking points – creating a complex situation. While a proposed merger aimed to unify professional golf, its details remain murky. As of April 2024, both tours seem to be carving their own paths, leaving the future of professional golf, with the dominance of OWGR points and potential tour supremacy hanging in the balance.

However, LIV golfers can compete in the PGA Championship and other majors (Masters, US Open, Open Championship), for a couple of reasons:

• Independence: The PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, separate from the PGA Tour. LIV's conflict is with the PGA Tour, not the organization behind the majors.

• Qualification Criteria: The PGA Championship has its own qualifying criteria, often including the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) the week before the event.

LIV Players participation in the PGA Championship

Players who meet the qualification criteria can participate in any golf tournament. For the PGA Championship, LIV golfers can also be invited based on the PGA of America's points system and an unofficial intake from the OWGR. The US Open and Open Championship offer 36-hole final qualifying for players to earn their way into the tournaments.

To qualify for the PGA Championship, a player must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Be a former winner of a PGA Championship

• Have won the last five Masters

• Have won the last five US Opens

• Have won the last five Open Championships

• Have won the last three THE PLAYERS Championships

• Be ranked in the top three on the OWGR's (Official World Golf Ranking) International Federation Ranking List

• Be a previous winner of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

• Be among the top 15 finishers and ties from the previous PGA Championship

• Be among the top 20 finishers from the previous PGA Professional Championship

• Be among the top 70 players who have earned the most PGA Championship points

• Be a playing member of the last-named US and European Ryder Cup teams (if they remain in the top 100 on the OWGR)

• Have won PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments whose victories are considered official

• If necessary to complete the field, those beyond the top 70 players who have earned the most PGA Championship points may also qualify.

LIV Golf currently has a roster of major champions and players who have performed well in the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and all the Major tournaments in 2024. It is worth noting that none of the four major organisations has taken action to prevent LIV players from participating in their events.

Which LIV golfers can play in the PGA Championship?

The following players can play in the PGA Championship:

Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, and Adrian Meronk.

Please note that the list below may change in the upcoming months, as players from the LIV team may participate in tournaments offering Official World Golf Ranking Points. Additionally, there will be regional and final qualifying rounds for The Open and the US Open, which Norman's stars can participate in if they choose. The fields of each major championship will likely be added to the list, with world-ranking positions becoming relevant as the events draw nearer.