The third major of the season is almost here! Scheduled from June 13 to 16, the US Open will take place at Pinehurst. Best golfers will tee up to fight for the highly coveted title, and it will include both PGA Tour pros and LIV golfers. Saudi league players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, and Martin Kaymer have qualified based on their past champion status. However, Phil Mickelson‘s name also appears on the list, raising questions since the 53-year-old hasn’t won a major in a long time. How did he qualify?
Phil Mickelson has won six major championships, but none of them were at the US Open. Even though the top 60 players on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) have a chance to participate, Mickelson is currently ranked 179th, so he doesn’t qualify. It is worth noting that Mickelson’s most recent major victory came in 2021 at the PGA Championship, where he claimed his sixth major title.
Lefty is still able to participate in this year’s event at Pinehurst No. 2. He made history three years ago at the Ocean Course as the oldest major winner, surpassing Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen, both of whom are now part of LIV Golf. Mickelson’s eligibility to compete this year is due to his previous victory at the PGA Championship.
Although the golfer is permitted to play at Pinehurst No. 2, whether he will compete remains uncertain. Last month, the 53-year-old made a startling revelation about potentially stepping away from the greens shortly. Discussing his plans, the golfer stated, “I’m 53 now, and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful, is toward its end.”
Given this, it’s difficult to predict how much longer Mickelson will continue to compete professionally on the greens. However, aside from Lefty, are there any LIV golfers qualified to play at the US Open? There are!
Which other LIV golfers are qualified for the US Open?
Golfers who placed in the top 10 or tied for 10th in the previous year’s US Open are automatically eligible for the next year, which gave Cameron Smith a chance to participate.
Adrian Meronk, a newcomer to LIV Golf this season, secured the fourth spot in the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings. The USGA gives exemptions to the top two players, but Rory McIlroy, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Jon Rahm, who had higher rankings, were already exempt using other criteria, allowing Meronk to earn a spot instead.
The USGA has stipulated that only players who have qualified and are eligible to participate in the Tour Championship will be eligible for the national major tournament.
Tyrell Hatton, who became a part of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII this year after competing in two PGA Tour events, earned his spot based on this requirement.
Hatton placed T16 at the Tour Championship last year.
In addition to these specific requirements, David Puig, Dean Burmester, and Eugenio Chacarra also earned qualification through the U.S. Open qualifiers.
Do you think anyone from LIV Golf can win the US Open title this year?
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