Report: LIV Players To Be Banned From Four Majors Next Year
Defectors from the traditional tours face the prospect of being exiled from the game's four marquee events from 2022
Players ditching the traditional tours for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series are set to be banned from competing in the four Majors as of next year, according to a report in the MailOnline, although the R&A has subsequently confirmed to Golf Monthly that LIV players won't be banned from The Open.
A host of the game's biggest names have already been lured to the Greg Norman-fronted breakaway circuit, with the PGA Tour quick to issue them with indefinite suspensions for competing on a rival tour without a release.
To combat the threat, the PGA and DP World Tours strengthened their "strategic partnership", with Keith Pelley also banning LIV stars from the three newly co-sanctioned events on the 2022 schedule, and serving them with £100,000 fines.
The ongoing battle has already caused fractures in the game, and they are set to grow deeper with the latest news that comes as the historic 150th Open at St Andrews gets underway.
Chief Executive of the R&A Martin Slumbers delivered a scathing assessment of the up-start league in the build-up to the Claret Jug shoot-out, saying: "The model we've seen at Centurion and Pumpkin Ridge is not in the best long-term interests of the sport and is entirely driven by money."
He ruled out banning the 24 LIV rebels who were eligible to tee it up at the Old Course but added the R&A would "review our exemptions and qualifications criteria for the Open".
It is now understood that an avenue being explored is to exclude anyone who is suspended from one of golf's traditional tours from featuring in future editions of the game's oldest championship.
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Should it come to fruition, it is a move that's sure be met with widespread condemnation from those associated with LIV. In a further blow, it's also expected that the four Major organisations - The R&A, The USGA, the PGA of America and The Masters - will be aligned in adjusting their qualification criteria.
A host of Major champions such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia have reportedly signed multi-year contracts with the breakaway venture.
A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he decided to go freelance and now covers a variety of topics for Golf Monthly.
Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.
As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.
What's in Andy's bag?
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)
Irons: Mizuno mp32 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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