Whilst 16 LIV Golf members will be in the field at this week’s PGA Championship, a whole host of stars from the breakaway circuit will be watching the major event from home.
The PGA Championship, the second significant event of the campaign, is currently underway at Valhalla Golf Club. However, several prominent players from the LIV Golf setup are notably absent.
The participation of the breakaway league in this year’s four major championships is restricted, as the Saudi-backed series persists in organizing events that do not offer world ranking points. Nevertheless, the upcoming tournament in Kentucky will showcase a greater number of LIV members than initially anticipated.
After the field was announced last week, the PGA of America has verified that seven members of the breakaway circuit have been granted special invitations to compete at Valhalla. These players were unable to qualify for the championship through the standard exemption categories.
Even though Talor Gooch and Patrick Reed got big opportunities, some other LIV stars won’t be playing. From major winners to Ryder Cup regulars, let’s see which players from the breakaway league didn’t make the cut.
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia, who participated in 24 consecutive PGA Championships from 1999 to 2022, will be absent from the event for the second year in a row in 2024. After winning his first major title at the Masters in 2017, Garcia earned the right to compete in the U.S. PGA for the next five years.
However, his exemption expired in 2022, and his move to LIV Golf has prevented him from qualifying for the event due to his decline in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Notably, Garcia finished second behind Tiger Woods in his PGA Championship debut at the age of 18 in 1999.
Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen, another prominent champion, won’t be participating in this week’s event. Despite his impressive performances in recent months on various tours like LIV, DP World, Sunshine, and Asian Tours, he was unexpectedly left out of the special invitees list. Reports suggest that Oosthuizen declined the invitation due to ‘personal circumstances’.
Mito Pereira
Mito Pereira, like Garcia, experienced a rise to fame in the PGA Championship, but unfortunately, he will not be participating in the 2024 edition. Pereira came close to making history in golf two years ago when he was just one hole away from winning the U.S. PGA Championship in 2022.
However, standing on the tee of the 72nd hole at Southern Hills, the Chilean golfer ended up hitting the water hazard and making a double bogey, which allowed Justin Thomas to claim victory in a playoff. This time, Pereira will not have the opportunity to redeem himself from his previous near-miss, as he did not qualify for the upcoming tournament at Valhalla.
Ian Poulter
Ian Poulter, the European Ryder Cup star, had been a consistent presence in major tournaments for most of his career. However, his decision to join LIV Golf has changed that. After signing with Greg Norman’s team, Poulter has only participated in one major championship – the 2022 Open.
As a result, he has missed all five major events since then, and will now miss out on the sixth one starting in Kentucky on Thursday.
Poulter’s compatriot and Majesticks co-captain Lee Westwood will not be present at Valhalla later this week. Westwood has been recognized as one of the top players to never secure a major championship victory, despite coming close on several occasions.
As time goes on without a major win, the odds of the LIV star achieving victory on the grand stage diminish, especially after missing the last five major events, including this week.
Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson missed out on the opportunity to increase his major championship count at Valhalla, as he did not qualify for the second major of the 2024 season. Despite his recent appearance at the Masters as a two-time green jacket winner, Watson’s current world ranking of 2,701 leaves him unable to participate in consecutive majors.
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