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The Royal and Ancient has issued a statement this Wednesday confirming that all the players who already have their place to play the 150th edition of the Open Championship may exercise their right without restriction.
This means that golfers who have decided to sign for LIV Golf They will not have problems to play the fourth Big of the year in July, as long as, of course, they were already classified or they get it through one of the stipulated exemptions.
The statement reads as follows:
“The Open is the original championship in golf and since it was first played in 1860, its open status has been central to its ethics and appeal.
“Players who are exempt or have earned a place through the different qualification criteria for the 150th Open in accordance with the terms and conditions of entry will be able to compete in the championship at St Andrews. We are focused on hosting a world-class championship in July and celebrating this truly historic occasion for golf. We will invest proceeds from The Open, as we always do, for the benefit of golf, reflecting our purpose to ensure the sport continues to thrive 50 years from now.”
As you can see, he does not mention the LIV Golf players or the Saudi league, but it is more than evident that he refers to them. He has never had to issue a statement in which everything he says is obvious.
Of course, the question that remains is to know what will happen in the coming years. While the USGA left open the possibility of changing the classification criteria for the US Open, the Open Championship has preferred not to touch the subject. Surely, it will be done depending on the development of events.
In this sense, the decision adopted by the world ranking regarding LIV Golf will be very important. Greg Norman, head of the Saudi league, has recently said that the process for LIV Golf tournaments to receive world ranking points has already started. Now it remains to be seen if it will be approved or not by the organization. It is not clear.
The Open Championship will be played from July 14 to 17 at the Old Course in St Andrews, two weeks after the second LIV Golf tournament that will take place in Portland, United States, from June 30 to July 2.
