It was July 2022, a month after the primary LIV Golf occasion in London. The upstart circuit backed by the Public Funding Fund had utilized for OWGR factors. Quick ahead to October 2023, the system denied them the identical citing an incapability to precisely choose the league. This, in flip, led to Greg Norman withdrawing the applying for the backing. In the meantime, as all of this was taking place, the LIV golfers had been slowly falling down the rankings which led to difficulties in qualifying for majors. However it’s not as if all hope is misplaced, particularly for the senior gamers. Enter the 2025 U.S. Senior Open.
The USGA has determined to carry a few change within the qualifiers for the senior main championship ranging from 2025. As per the new guidelines set by the affiliation, the occasion will “transfer to a two-stage qualifying mannequin and undertake modified exemption classes.” This spells as nothing wanting excellent news for the LIV Golf Professionals who’re aged 50 & above together with the likes of Phil Mickelson (54), Lee Westwood (51), and Richard Bland (51).
USA At this time by way of Reuters
Mar 6, 2021; Orlando, Florida, USA; Lee Westwood hits his tee shot on the primary gap through the third spherical of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf event at Bay Hill Membership & Lodge. Obligatory Credit score: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports activities|
The modified framework boasts an identical system to that of the U.S. Open. It’ll characteristic 32 native websites and 12 remaining websites versus the 2024 mannequin which had only one stage of qualifying with 33 websites. The USGA, this yr, accepted a complete of three,019 entries marking it the third-highest complete of gamers within the historical past of the key.
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The senior championship’s new qualifying system may even scale back the total exemptions which might be given to the golfers. The winners of the PGA Tour Champions, consequently, shall be awarded a one-year exemption as a substitute of 2-3 years. Furthermore, it can additionally align the exemptions awarded because of main championship wins. This would come with giving 5-year exemptions to the winners of the Senior PGA Championship, The Senior Gamers Championship, and the Custom.
That’s not all. Native exemptions have additionally been established to acknowledge accolades on the senior, newbie, {and professional} ranges. They are going to be awarded to “previous PGA Tour Champions winners, prime finishers within the Charles Schwab Cup standings, prime finishers in senior main championships, winners of state senior opens and state senior newbie championships,” to not point out golfers belonging to a sure World Beginner Golf Rating senior age-filtered class. Such a chunk of reports would particularly be fantastic for somebody like Bland who simply received his first KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Richard Bland’s first main win and the U.S. Senior Open exemption
The skilled received into the sector on the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship owing to his 2021 British Masters victory. His debut on the main led to a scintillating victory that got here from a rating of 17-under over 4 days of play. He carded a complete of 21 birdies, 2 eagles, and 9 bogeys to register figures of 64-66-74-63 to win his first main.
The victory earned him an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Senior Open that may tee off at Newport Nation Membership on June 27. Now, with the brand new guidelines which have been set by the USGA, the LIV Golf Professional will be capable to play within the upcoming main via 2029 until his 5-year exemption runs out. It seems the golfer will as soon as once more have to have a good time his main win identical to he did so again in Might!