Is the PGA Tour Overreaching By Barring Nonmembers Who Play With LIV Golf?

Suspending PGA Tour members who play on LIV is one thing, but Bob Harig wonders about the fairness in barring players without Tour privileges.

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The rules are pretty clear now. If you participate in a LIV Golf event, it will be at least a year before you are allowed to play on the PGA Tour. For PGA Tour members who violate the policy, the time frame could be longer, as players have either had their memberships suspended or revoked.

But what about players with no affiliation to the PGA Tour?

Golf Channel reported last week that the PGA Tour has a new rule that went into effect with the start of the 2022-23 season that effectively means that even if you are not part of the PGA Tour, participating in a LIV Golf event will mean a one-year ban.

While not spelled out completely last year, this was basically in effect anyway. It was made clear to those who participated in LIV events in 2022 that they would not be allowed to compete at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. This came to light with Japanese players who were told they could not play in the Zozo Championship or the Sony Open nor go to Q-School if they competed in LIV events. When the 2022-23 season began, those events would be off-limits for 2023 as well.

Although the Japanese players got the bulk of the attention, they were not being singled out.

American Andy Ogletree, who was invited to the first LIV Golf event in London, finished last and never played again, was effectively banned for the rest of the year. He had conditional status at the time on the Korn Ferry Tour. His agent, Mac Barnhardt, said Ogletree’s suspension was lifted on Jan. 1 and he is free to try and Monday qualify for PGA Tour events or accept sponsor exemptions.

Ogletree, the 2019 U.S. Amateur champion, won the International Series event last year in Egypt and is thus fully exempt this year on the Asian Tour, where he played in the Saudi International this past week and finished ninth.

The restriction on non-PGA Tour members, however, is curious. Understandably, the PGA Tour wants to discourage anyone from going to LIV Golf. And it certainly doesn’t want someone to be able to do both.

But that’s different than being prohibited from playing Tour events after leaving LIV. A player coming out of college might be tempted by the LIV riches, but then be forced to go somewhere else before a year before even getting a chance to try and qualify for the PGA Tour.

Is that right? Even legal?

"I don’t know how you can create advanced ownership of a player," Barnhardt said. "I don't know what their legal rights are to that. It sounds like overreach to me but I really don’t know the legal rights. What if Tiger (Woods) was the guy who was suspended for a year because he played one LIV event? Would they not want him back as soon as possible?"

While Woods is an extreme example, limiting where someone can play outside of the PGA Tour—with no allegiance to it previously—is an interesting play. Some of the younger players on LIV might only be on board for a year.

If they end their affiliation with the league, what should prohibit them from trying to Monday qualify for PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour events? A player on any other worldwide tour would not face such a restriction.

Barnhardt’s issue with the Tour when Ogletree was suspended stemmed from the fact that he was not a member. He had no status on the Korn Ferry Tour. He had no place to play. So he took the opportunity at LIV, parlayed that one start into several International Series starts and ended up winning. LIV Golf funds the elevated International Series tournaments.

"He will try and get some sponsor exemptions (for PGA Tour events) this year," Barnhardt said. "It will be interesting. Will there be any pressure from the Tour not to give him one? I am going to trust that he is free to play."