The R&A announces one LIV Golf exemption for The Open at Royal Portrush
Legion XIII's Caleb Surratt, Tom McKibbin, Captain Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton replace the flag on the 18th green after the final round of LIV Golf Riyadh. Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf
The R&A will offer one exemption to a LIV Golf player into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.
Just five days after the USGA announced an exemption for the leading player in the Top 3 in the LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on May 19 into the US Open at Oakmont, the R&A today announced that the leading player not already exempt in the Top 5 of the 2025 Individual Season Standings following LIV Golf Dallas will be awarded a place in the season’s final major in Co Antrim.
New LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil welcomed the move announced by new R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon.
“We thank Mark Darbon for his leadership and the R&A for taking this step for the benefit of moving golf forward,” Mr O’Neill said in a statement.
“The Open Championship is one of the most prestigious events in all of sports. The acknowledgement that competitors from the LIV Golf League and The International Series will have the opportunity to play in golf’s original major is a true testament to the strength of fields and the R&A’s commitment to golf fans around the world.
“LIV will continue our mission to bring the best players to the four corners of the world to grow the game. We are excited for the future of this great sport.”
The clubhouse at Royal Portrush
The R&A said the new exemption complements existing qualification routes through the FedEx Cup on the PGA TOUR, the Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour and the International Federation Ranking for players competing on the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour.
Mr Darbon said: “The Open is a global championship for the best men’s golfers and each year we review our exemptions to ensure that we offer pathways into the Championship based on results achieved on the leading professional tours.
“We acknowledge that players competing in LIV Golf should also have the opportunity to secure places in The Open through its individual season standings as well as existing pathways.
“We are proud to offer a wide range of opportunities to qualify globally and look forward to seeing which golfers will emerge to take their place at Royal Portrush in July.”
The R&A also announced the schedule for the Open Qualifying Series in 2025 with 15 events in 11 countries offering places in golf’s original championship.
Irish golf will have at least five players in the field at Royal Portrush, with former winners Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy joined by LIV Golf’s Tom McKibbin, who qualified by finishing inside the top 25 in the 2024 Race to Dubai standings.
So far, LIV has 11 players in the field for The Open - Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, McKibbin, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, and Henrik Stenson.
LIV will have two exemptions into the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills - the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the Final 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings and the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 18, 2026.
The top 10 players from the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of April 7, 2025, will be exempt from local qualifying for this year’s US Open.
For 2026, the top 10 players from the Final 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings will be exempt from local qualifying, as well as the top 10 players from the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of April 6, 2026.
