Two LIV Golf Players Lose Open Championship Spots After Presidents Cup Exemption Removed

Two of LIV Golf's brand new signings have lost their expected exemptions into the 151st Open after the R&A removed the Presidents Cup exemption for this year's tournament.

R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers categorically ruled out banning LIV Golf players from future Opens at St Andrews last year but hinted that the criteria and qualification process for this year's Championship at Royal Liverpool may be changed.

"Looking ahead to The Open next year, we have been asked quite frequently about banning players," he said. "Let me be very clear. That's not on our agenda. But what is on our agenda is that we will review our exemptions and qualifications criteria for The Open."

Two exemptions have been removed from the qualifying criteria - with the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams exemption removed as well as the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup exemption, which isn't being played this year.

Both Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz will now have to find other ways to qualify for the year's final Major, while PGA Tour players Taylor Pendrith and Cameron Davis find themselves in the same boat.

Pereira and Munoz are both suspended from the PGA Tour so a route into the world's top 50 will be very difficult, with the top 50 by Week 21 all earning spots. Their best bets - along with other LIV players who aren't in The Open yet - will be to earn one of the four places available at the World City Championship in Hong Kong in March or the two spots available at the Korea Open in June. Both events are either fully or co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.

A total of 34 places are available via various events on the PGA, DP World, Japan and Asian Tours.

Any golfer earning a qualifying place who then becomes exempt under one or more categories before the closing date of entries will result in that place being awarded to the next non-exempt golfer, which will determined by a reserve list for each event played before 1 June. That reserve list will be made up of the leading players who make the cut in the tour where spots are available and are not already exempt as of the closing date of entries for The Open on 1 June.

Final Qualifying for Royal Liverpool takes place on 4th July, where 16 places in total will be up for grabs at Burnham and Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire.

A new exemption has been added for elite amateurs in which the player who accumulates the most points awarded by the World Amateur Golf Ranking in the St Andrews Links Trophy, The Amateur Championship and European Amateur Championship will earn a place in The Open.  

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “We have created an exciting schedule of events which takes in many regions around the world and provides the chance for golfers to earn a place in The Open at Royal Liverpool. We are grateful to our colleagues at the professional tours for their support and look forward to seeing who emerges from each event to book a sought-after place in the Championship this year.”