LIV Golfers Have Found a Loophole Into the 2024 Open Championship

With the members of LIV Golf freefalling in the Official World Golf Rankings – Dustin Johnson is outside the top 150 – and no way of getting points through their events in sight, golfers are running out of ways to play themselves into the major championships.

But some have found a loophole of sorts, and Dean Burmester took advantage on Sunday.

Because the DP World Tour events going on in South Africa and Australia are being co-promoted by other tours, members of LIV Golf are eligible for the events.

It just so happens that this past week’s Joburg Open and this coming week’s ISPS Handa Australian Open are qualifying events for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. That means the top-three finishers who already weren’t exempt will receive an invitation to next July’s major. 

Burmester not only finished inside the top three in Johannesburg, but he won the Joburg Open in his home country. That gives him an automatic berth into the event that many LIV Golf pros, including Sergio Garcia, had to try and qualify for this past year.

The drive 🚀

The chip 👌

Textbook birdie for Dean Burmester at 13.#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/qQCqihakYa

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 26, 2023

“I love The Open Championship,” said Burmester, who was 11th in his only Open appearance, which was in 2022.

“The 150th Open at St Andrews that I played in was probably the greatest spectacle that I’ve ever witnessed. They put on one of the most special shows in golf.”

Among those from LIV who will be trying to get into the Open this week in Australia include Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann. Cameron Smith is playing in the tournament, but he’s already in the field thanks to winning The Open in 2022. 

Cover Photo via X