LIV Golfers Qualify For The Masters After Strong US Open Displays

At the start of the US Open, 14 LIV Golfers teed it up in the Oakmont Major. However, at the halfway stage, that was reduced to just six, with the likes of champion Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann and Dustin Johnson among the big names missing the cut.

While none of the remaining half a dozen were able to emulate DeChambeau by winning the tournament, several performed admirably in the testing conditions, not least Torque GC’s Carlos Ortiz and Legion XIII player Tyrrell Hatton.

In the end, PGA Tour star JJ Spaun took the title, holing a sensational 64-foot putt to thwart runner-up Robert MacIntyre’s chances of a playoff, but the LIV Golf duo contended until late on Sunday.

The pair finished T4 at the event, four shots behind Spaun, and while that meant neither was able to claim their maiden Major title, there was one sizeable consolation, aside from the $876,869 in prize money each won – a place in the field for next year’s Masters.

That’s because exemptions into the Augusta National Major are handed to every player who placed in the top four and ties, with Ortiz and Hatton sneaking in by one shot, along with PGA Tour star Cameron Young, who they shared fourth with.

For Hatton, the need to secure his Masters place wasn’t quite as pressing as Ortiz’s, because, ranked 18^th in the world, there’s a strong chance he will be in the world’s top 50 at the end of the year, which would have been another route to qualifying. However, even after Ortiz’s heroics, he’s only ranked 113^th, meaning he would still have had plenty of work to do to secure his place.

Last year, Ortiz missed out on all four Majors, including the US Open, after failing to make it through Final Qualifying. That led to him saying after his win at the 2024 LIV Golf Houston that he “deserved” to be at the US Open. The good news for the Mexican, who made no mistake in Final Qualifying this year, is that, thanks to his performance at Oakmont, he will also play in next year’s tournament at Shinnecock Hills. That’s because the top 10 and ties all qualify, meaning Hatton is guaranteed his spot, too.

Both players are also in the field for July’s Open at Royal Portrush, with Ortiz securing his place via the Open Qualifying Series after winning the International Series Macau in March and Hatton booking his place as one of the top 25 in the 2024 Race to Dubai rankings.