R&A CEO Denounces LIV Golf, Hints at Changing British Open Qualifying Criteria

Martin Slumbers said LIV Golf is 'entirely driven by money' and detrimental to the game, but the OWGR board member dodged questions around world ranking points availability for the startup league.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The head of the R&A made it clear Wednesday that the organization which runs the British Open and governs golf outside of the United States and Mexico believes that the LIV Golf League is not in the best interests of the game – and would consider adjusting its qualifications for entry into the oldest championship.

Martin Slumbers, the CEO of the R&A, did not say qualifications would be changed to prohibit LIV members from competing at The Open. But he inferred the organization will look at its qualifying criteria – which could make qualifying for LIV players more difficult.

“We will hold totally true to The Open being open to anybody,’’ Slumbers said. “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.’’

R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said LIV Golf is not good for the game and its claim to be growing the game 'is just not credible.' :: Ken Murray/Golffile

Earlier, Slumbers made it clear that he felt the LIV Golf League headed by two-time champion Greg Norman is not good for the game overall.

“Professional golfers are entitled to choose where they want to play and to accept the prize money that's offered to them. I have absolutely no issue with that at all,’’ Slumbers said, referring to the large purses being offered at LIV events.

“But there is no such thing as a free lunch. I believe the model we've seen at Centurion (the first LIV event last month) and Pumpkin Ridge is not in the best long-term interests of the sport as a whole and is entirely driven by money. We believe it undermines the merit-based culture and the spirit of open competition that makes golf so special.

“I would also like to say that in my opinion the continued commentary that this is about growing the game is just not credible and if anything, is harming the perception of our sport which we are working so hard to improve. We believe the game needs to focus on increasing participation, achieving greater diversity, and making sure that golf is truly open to all, rather than this narrow debate involving a small number of players.

“As importantly, it detracts from what makes golf, as Arnold Palmer stated, the greatest sport that mankind ever invented. Golf is far more than just professional golf, and we should all remember that.’’

LIV Golf has been the subject of considerable controversy this year as several high-profile players such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia have accepted large guaranteed contracts to compete in LIV events, which are offering $25 million purses.

All of those players are in The Open field this week; there are 24 LIV players total among the 156 who will begin play on Thursday at the Old Course.

Last month, USGA CEO Mike Whan also suggested the U.S. Open could look at its qualification criteria.

“Could I foresee a day? Yeah,’’ Whan said. “Do I know what that day looks like? I don’t. What we’re talking about (with LIV Golf)) was different two years ago and it was different months ago than it is today.

“We’ve been doing this for 127 years. So I think we need to take a long-term view of this and see kind of where things go. It’s not going to be a knee-jerk reaction. The question was could you envision a day where it’d be harder for some folks doing different things to get into a U.S. Open? I could. I don’t know but I could definitely foresee that day.’’

The Open’s exemption criteria are reviewed each year, Slumbers said. Among the ways into the field are as a past champion to age 60, a winner of the other major championships over the past five years, inside the top 50 in the world eight weeks prior to the championship or inside top 30 in the prior season’s FedEx Cup and DP World Tour standings.

Many of those avenues will be far narrower for LIV players, who for now are not allowed to compete in PGA Tour events and their participation on the DP World Tour remains in question.

And for now, LIV Golf events are not receiving world ranking points, with an application submitted but not excepted by ruled on for months, perhaps not until next year.

LIV players ranked among the top 50 in the world now will slowly drop in the rankings over time.

Slumbers, who as CEO of the R&A is also a board member of the Official World Golf Ranking, said he would not take questions on the subject of his role with the OWGR. And when asked if he would recuse himself, Slumbers first said he would not discuss the subject, and when pressed said: “The question of conflict of interest will be a matter decided by the UK Companies Act,’’ he said.

Norman, who won The Open in 1986 and 1993 and might have taken part in some of the 150th celebration this week, was asked not to attend and not invited due to his role with LIV.

“This is a very important week for golf,’’ Slumbers said. “This is the oldest championship. It's the original championship. I keep going back to remembering why in 1860 we played it, and that was because of the death of Allan Robertson, who was the best golfer in the world in 1859. And for 149 times it's been the Champion Golfer of the Year on Sunday.

“We are absolutely determined to ensure that this goes down in history as about The 150th Open. We decided that there would be, based on noise that I was receiving from multiple sources, that that was going to be potentially unlikely.

“We decided that we didn't want the distraction. We wanted to ensure that the conversation was all about this week and playing golf and balls in the air tomorrow and the Champion Golfer on Sunday.

“Greg hasn't been here since 2010. He didn't come in 2015. In fact, it's many years since he's even been to The Open. So there would have been another reason for that. So it was very clear to protect the integrity of this week.’’