Talor Gooch raised eyebrows after the American claimed a win for Rory McIlroy at this year’s Masters would come with an ‘asterisk’, with Gooch one of many LIV stars not in the field.
Jon Rahm feels that Talor Gooch deserves a spot in the upcoming Masters tournament, especially after Gooch raised concerns about the tournament’s field integrity due to the absence of several LIV Golf stars.
Gooch had a remarkable season on the LIV circuit last year, clinching victory three times and ultimately claiming the league’s season-long title. Despite his outstanding performance, Gooch did not earn any points in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as LIV awaited OWGR recognition.
Consequently, Gooch has plummeted to 476th in the world rankings, resulting in his exclusion from all four major championships this year, including the Masters.
Rahm, the defending champion, holds the belief that his fellow LIV star should be given a spot in the tournament, especially after Joaquin Niemann received an invitation from Augusta bosses. Rahm expressed his thoughts ahead of LIV Hong Kong this week, stating, “There is one player who performed exceptionally well throughout the previous season but has been somewhat overlooked.”
He further added, “While it’s not necessary for all players to receive invitations, I believe Talor Gooch should be considered for a possible invite to these majors as well. He was the top-performing player last year, and if that doesn’t demonstrate exceptional golf and deserving a place in majors, I don’t know what does.”
Gooch also shared his perspective on the matter last month, but his comments raised some eyebrows as he questioned the legitimacy of the event. Specifically, he suggested that a victory for Rory McIlroy, who aims to achieve the career Grand Slam in Georgia next month, would come with an ‘asterisk’ due to the current state of the world rankings.
Gooch’s statement regarding Rory McIlroy’s potential Grand Slam achievement without the presence of top players has raised concerns about the legitimacy of such an accomplishment.
McIlroy, when asked about these comments, expressed understanding towards Gooch’s perspective. However, he pointed out that Gooch himself has not actively pursued ranking points in other tournaments, unlike Niemann, who was recently invited and is also a member of LIV Golf.
McIlroy emphasized that the Masters is an invitational event, and the organizers have the discretion to invite players they deem deserving. He also mentioned that Gooch’s response may have been influenced by the interviewer’s line of questioning, and he is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. In essence, McIlroy believes that Gooch’s agreement with the interviewer’s statement should be taken in context.
However, Joaquin Niemann received an invitation while I had the opportunity to play alongside him in Dubai a few weeks ago. Subsequently, he traveled to Australia and emerged victorious. Last week, he was in Oman. Joaquin has been tirelessly globetrotting, striving to secure a spot in Augusta or demonstrate sufficient prowess to earn an invitation. I am uncertain if Talor has been undertaking a similar pursuit.
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