R&A Confirms LIV Golf Players Will Not Be Banned From The Open Championship

The R&A has sought to clarify its position after reports that LIV Golf players will face bans from the Majors in 2023.

There has been a lot of speculation this week around the status of LIV players in PGA and DP World Tour events, the Ryder Cup and the Majors, and while LIV Golf players' participation in some events still seems up in the air, the governing body has confirmed to Golf Monthly that LIV players will not be banned from future Open Championships, with The Open remaining open to those who qualify for golf's oldest Major through any of the established qualifying routes.

"I never said the best golfers will not be able to play," R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers said earlier in the week. "We will hold totally true to The Open being open to anybody. But we may well look at how you get into that, whether it's an exemption or a need to qualify through our qualifying process."

A number of high profile LIV Golf players hold exemptions into next year's Open, the 151st at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, including 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed. 

Phil Mickelson, the 2013 Open champion at Muirfield, is exempt into the championship until the age of 60, as is 2010 Champion Golfer of the Year Louis Oosthuizen.

Four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka is also exempt for The Open for another two years following his most recent Major win at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Regardless of what happens in the wider game, there are a number of avenues that remain available to LIV players to make their way into the field next year, including exemptions and The Open's own Qualifying Series and Final Qualifying.