LIV Golfers Submit Entries for U.S. Open, Sergio Garcia Among Several Who Would Have to Qualify

A record number of entries were submitted for the major at Los Angeles Country Club; about 10 LIV players will be fully exempt.

Entries closed last week for June’s U.S. Open, and among the more than 10,000 who submitted an application were at least 18 LIV Golf members, seven of whom are fully exempt into the championship and others who would face final qualifying.

The June 15 to 18 event at Los Angeles Country Club saw a record 10,187 entries, according to the USGA, topping the previous mark set for the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

Among those entered and fully exempt are Martin Kaymer, now with LIV Golf, who won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst that year. Others LIV golfers fully exempt are 2016 U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson (who is also exempt via his 2020 Masters title), past winners Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), 2021 PGA champion Phil Mickelson, 2022 British Open champion Cam Smith and Joaquin Niemann, who is ranked 25th in the Official World Golf Ranking (No. 31 SIWGR) and will qualify via the top-60 threshold.

The U.S. Open takes the top 60 in the world as of May 22 and June 12.

Among the LIV golfers in position to qualify via the top 60 are Abraham Ancer (36), Patrick Reed (44), Thomas Pieters (46), Mito Pereira (55) and Talor Gooch (57).

Harold Varner III is 60th, and, with LIV events not earning world ranking points, he is set to fall out of the top 60.

All those players have likely qualified for the PGA Championship, which would be a last chance to earn world ranking points.

Among those who are known to have entered and would face final qualifying are Pereira, Varner, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Tringale, Kevin Na, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Brendan Steele, Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace and Carlos Ortiz.

All are exempt from local qualifying but would face a 36-hole qualifier at one of 13 sites, 10 of which will be conducted on June 5.

The LIV Golf league is playing its fourth event of the year this week in Adelaide, Australia, before going to Singapore next week. It has a tournament in Tulsa the week before the PGA Championship.