'I Played Well Enough To Get There': Talor Gooch Is Inside the Top 30, But Not at the Tour Championship
ATLANTA – Talor Gooch last played a regular PGA Tour event in May, back when the golf landscape was considerably different and there was little thought he’d be joining LIV Golf and later suing for the right to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Because Gooch played in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event outside of London in June, he was suspended indefinitely and prohibited from competing in any more PGA Tour events.
And yet he earned enough points in the events he played going back to last fall to finish 29th in the official FedEx Cup standings.
Talor Gooch won on the PGA Tour in the fall and had enough other high finishes to remain in the top 30 in FedEx Cup points even though his last start was in May.
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But Gooch is not at East Lake Golf Club this week competing for the FedEx Cup and the $18 million bonus because the PGA Tour declared him ineligible.
What is unclear, however, is if by finishing among the top 30, he will be eligible for the three major championships that use Tour Championship qualification for entry.
Two weeks ago, Gooch, 30, and fellow LIV players Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones were denied relief from a federal court in Northern California from which they sought the ability to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The players were seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow them to play as part of a bigger suit that now includes a total of nine players who sued to have their suspensions lifted.
The majors—not the money—is why Gooch wanted to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“That was the sole reason why we were seeking the TRO,’’ Gooch said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I knew I was going to be right on the cusp of getting into the Tour Championship. While we are waiting with LIV to see what unfolds, I knew my greatest chance of getting into the majors was getting into the Tour Championship. And I wanted to solidify my spot.
“Based on merit and play through the season before I moved to LIV, I played well enough to get in the Tour Championship. Majors are the pinnacle of golf, but I knew what I was signing up for would put that at risk. That’s why it was very important for me to get to the Tour Championship.
“Even though I’m not there, I played well enough to get there. You have to be hopeful that the major championships will recognize that. It’s a bit chaotic right now.’’
Gooch said all along he planned to donate whatever winnings he got from the FedEx Cup to charity. Based on the fact that he will drop to 30th this week, he will receive $500,000 according to the PGA Tour—$245,000 in cash and $255,000 deferred.
“Players who are under suspension for participation in unauthorized events are paid based on their positions on the Official FedEx Cup Points list,’’ the Tour said in a statement.
Because he did not forfeit membership, the points Gooch earned at the British Open counted on his total. He accumulated a good bit of it last fall when he won the RSM Classic and also added four other top-11 finishes. Gooch also tied for seventh at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Gooch is ranked 45th in the Official World Golf Ranking, but likely to slide out of the top 50 cutoff by the end of the year that would get him in the Masters. The U.S. Open has a top-60 cutoff at two times during the spring, and Gooch—unless he can play in some Asian Tour events to earn points—is unlikely to qualify that way, either. The British Open also uses the top 50 eight weeks prior to the Championship. LIV Golf is not receiving world ranking points and is unlikely to anytime soon.
The Masters, U.S. Open and Open each have qualification criteria regarding the Tour Championship that basically reads: “Players who qualified for the previous year’s Tour Championship.’’
Gooch technically qualified. But the PGA Tour late in the regular season announced it would have two lists, an official list for payout purposes and an “eligible’’ list, which removed those players suspended for competing in LIV Golf events.
None of the major championships have said how they will handle the situation.
Gooch said he originally planned to play just the first LIV Golf event in London. He went to the overseas event expecting that he’d be able to return to the PGA Tour afterward. He had not signed any long-term agreement with LIV.
That changed when the PGA Tour suspended him.
“I knew there could be some repercussions from my decision to play in that tournament,’’ Gooch said. “Based on the history of what the PGA Tour has done, I didn’t think it would be as extreme as it was. I knew anytime you make a decision like that, there can be consequences. But I planned on coming back. I wasn’t all-in with LIV. I wasn’t signed to play any more tournaments.’’
Once the suspensions were handed down, Gooch decided to go with LIV full-time. He would not say for how many years he signed, but acknowledged that he is on board for LIV’s 14-tournament league schedule next year.
In three LIV tournaments, Gooch has finished ninth, seventh and tied for sixth, earning $1,903,000 in prize money. He also added another $1,500,000 for twice being on the winning team. All of that is in addition to whatever signing bonus he was paid.
“My wife (Ally) and I took a trip away last weekend and were laughing about and reflecting on the last six months and how crazy it’s all been,’’ he said. “None of this was in the cards. None of this was expected in this world. It’s been tumultuous. A bunch of highs, a bunch of lows and everything in between.
“It was my best season on tour yet. My team just did a great job. Even though it was an unconventional year, I was proud of what we were able to do in a shortened season. I played some really good golf. It was fun.’’