LIV Golf stars handed major championship 'motivation' as Tour boss welcomes Open boost

LIV Golf person been offered an exemption class into The Open for the archetypal clip successful 2025, with players connected the circuit besides capable to suffice done the Asian Tour's International Series

Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant believes that players competing connected the LIV Golf circuit person been handed added 'motivation' for their 2025 play aft being offered a qualification path into The Open Championship.

The LIV circuit has grown year-on-year since bursting onto the country astatine Centurion Club successful 2022, and 1 antheral who has been determination each measurement of the mode is Thant. Whilst the bulk of golf's elite opted to snub the LIV setup, the Asian Tour went into concern with the Saudi-backed league.

An confederation betwixt the 2 tours was born, and since the Asian circuit person reaped the rewards, with summation prize funds and entree to a stronger excavation of players.

Whilst LIV and backing from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) has aided the Asian Tour, Thant and co person besides proved cardinal to LIV too, offering its players the accidental to play elsewhere, each whilst earning immoderate much-needed Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

The deficiency of OWGR accreditation proved a cardinal kink successful the LIV armour for immoderate clip with its rank dilatory losing entree to members. For 2025 though an olive subdivision has been offered, aft the R&A followed in the footsteps of the USGA and US Open successful providing an exemption spot to LIV for the 2025 Open.

The determination is simply a large measurement for the breakaway league, and whilst lone 1 spot is connected offer, it is simply a motion of advancement for those successful complaint progressive successful the LIV setup. The spot volition beryllium awarded to the apical subordinate not already exempt successful the top-five of LIV's idiosyncratic standings pursuing the completion of LIV Dallas connected June 29.

The easing of tensions towards the LIV circuit besides has benefits for Thant and the Asian Tour too, and helium believes the bid offering is simply a measurement successful the close absorption for the sport. "The inclusion of a class for the apical LIV subordinate not different exempt is besides a bully motion that we are moving direction," the Tour CEO to Mirror Sport.

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"I'm definite it gives adjacent much information to players similar Adrian Meronk [who won LIV Riyadh past week] who are intelligibly apical people players." Aside from the LIV pathway, players from the breakaway league tin besides play their mode to Royal Portrush done the assistance of the Asian Tour.

As portion of the exemption class changes, the Asian Tour's International Series lawsuit successful Macau volition person 3 Open spots disposable done the large event's Qualifying Series. For Thant this gives his circuit the accidental to physique a beardown tract from those connected the LIV circuit, arsenic good arsenic giving their ain members the accidental to play for golf's astir historical title.

"Together with the R&A, we identified IS Macau arsenic the strongest lawsuit successful the qualifying model and with the elevated presumption I americium definite the tract volition beryllium stronger than ever," helium added. "Direct introduction into the Open Championship is hugely important for america arsenic a Tour. It provides validation for our members and rewards them with a pathway to golf's biggest stage."

The International Series had arguably their biggest lawsuit yet successful India past month, with Bryson DeChambeau the main attraction aft the US Open champion committed to the lawsuit successful his idiosyncratic quest to 'grow the game'. For Thant, the accidental to person 1 of the biggest names successful the athletics was different large step.

"He was Brilliant," Thant said of DeChambeau. "He said 'look I americium present for you guys, thing you privation maine to bash the adjacent 7 days I americium for you guys'. He ended up doing everything we wanted... helium was truthful engaging. You wonderment wherever helium gets the clip to practice," the CEO added with a smile.

"I deliberation helium genuinely wants to transcend the crippled of play and beryllium a property successful general. He wants to bash a batch of stuff, and it is large to see." DeChambeau's task to India whitethorn good person lone travel astir amid the Saudi-backed league's divided with the PGA Tour, with the two-time large victor banned from competing connected his erstwhile tour.

In caller weeks it appears advancement has been made towards yet agreeing a bid deal, with the PGA Tour's talks with PIF accelerating - present with the assistance of President Donald Trump. Thant is hopeful that the Asian Tour besides has a large portion to play successful what volition astir apt beryllium the biggest woody successful the past of men's nonrecreational golf.

"It validates retired determination [to enactment with PIF and LIV]," Thant claimed. "Hopefully arsenic archetypal movers we are not forgotten astir and we stay a large portion of the equation. In the abbreviated word determination volition not beryllium a batch of change. I cognize LIV has plans to beryllium astir for the foreseeable future, they are looking astatine expansion, caller ways to get play to aggregate places successful the world. Hopefully we are a large portion of that.

"The abbreviated word I anticipation we spot a solution successful presumption of players being capable to play aggregate tours without sanctions, past possibly a coming unneurotic aft 2 to 3 years."