LIV Golf star quits US Open qualifying after just 15 holes after Rory McIlroy dig
Talor Gooch, the biggest earner in LIV Golf's history, has not been able to play in the major championships since the breakaway league began in 2022
Talor Gooch, the top earner of LIV Golf, has been vocal about the challenges of gaining access to major championships on the breakaway tour. However, his recent attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open was unsuccessful.
The Oklahoma-born golfer joined the LIV circuit as a founding member in 2022 and quickly made a name for himself. He clinched the individual championship in 2023 after securing three tournament victories, making him the leader of LIV's all-time money list with more than $62 million in on-course earnings.
However, his profitable stint with LIV has had its drawbacks. The 33-year-old has missed six out of the last eight major championships due to his drop in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
As LIV is not sanctioned by the OWGR, its players do not earn ranking points from its tournaments. This issue came to light when Scottie Scheffler's wife asked a caddie a revealing question that exposed her true feelings about him.
Once ranked 31st in the world and on an upward trajectory, Gooch now sits at No. 1556 in the world rankings, reports the Mirror US.
His low ranking has limited his options for qualifying for majors. For the U.S. Open and The Open Championship, he must compete in fiercely contested 36-hole qualifiers to secure one of the last spots in the field.
Special invitations have been his only chance of participating in The Masters and the PGA Championship, both of which he missed this year.
Gooch has been hesitant to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open and The Open. He famously stated last year that he had no interest in competing in U.S. Open qualifying to secure a spot at Pinehurst No. 2, and his public comments have made it clear that he feels his performances on LIV should have earned him more chances to play in majors.
Other LIV players have adopted a very different approach. Sergio Garcia has taken part in qualifiers whenever possible, while Joaquin Niemann has made a determined effort to participate in as many tournaments on other tours as he can - something that has caught the attention of the top brass at Augusta National and resulted in the Chilean receiving special invitations for the past two editions of The Masters. In contrast, Gooch only played in four tournaments outside of his LIV schedule in 2024.
To his credit, Gooch did attempt to qualify for next month's U.S. Open at Oakmont. He was in the line-up for the final qualifying event at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, Texas, on Monday. However, he only lasted 15 holes before withdrawing from the event.
At the time, Gooch was one-over-par, leaving him with a challenging task of climbing the leaderboard and securing one of the seven available spots at Oakmont over his remaining 21 holes. Fellow LIV member Carlos Ortiz was among the seven players who secured their places at Oakmont.
While it's not confirmed if an injury influenced his decision to withdraw, fans on social media didn't hold back in ridiculing him, promptly recalling his remarks from a February 2024 interview with Australian Golf Digest. Gooch had controversially suggested that major wins might be devalued without the presence of some LIV members.
"If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his Grand Slam without some of the best players in the world, there's just going to be an asterisk," he said. "It's just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there."
Currently ranked 20th in the LIV Golf standings after seven tournaments, Gooch is set to play in the upcoming LIV Golf Virginia following his season-high third-place finish at LIV Golf Korea earlier this month.