2024 MAJORS PREVIEW: LIV GOLFERS READY TO CHASE GLORY
It’s Masters week, which means golf’s major season is now underway. Thirteen LIV Golf players will compete at Augusta National, including the top three finishers from last year – defending champ Jon Rahm, and runners-up Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson (along with Patrick Reed, who tied for fourth).
Overall, 18 different LIV golfers are exempt into at least one major in 2024, while players not exempt are still able to secure spots at the U.S. Open and Open Championship through various qualifying tournaments.
Here’s a preview of the 2024 major season and the LIV golfers currently eligible to compete.
2024 MAJORS SCHEDULE
April 11-14: MASTERS, Augusta National | Augusta, Georgia
May 16-19: PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, Valhalla Golf Club | Louisville, Kentucky
June 13-16: U.S. OPEN, Pinehurst No. 2 | Pinehurst, North Carolina
July 18-21: THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Royal Troon | Troon, Scotland
WHO’S IN?
Here are the LIV Golf League members currently set to play this year’s majors through various exemptions
MASTERS
Past Champions: Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson
Other Major Winners (2019-23): Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith
Other Qualifiers/Invitees: Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Past Champions: Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson
Other Major Winners (2019-23): Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith
Other Qualifiers/Invitees: Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann
U.S. OPEN
Past Champions (last 10 years): Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm
Other Major Winners (2019-23): Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith
Other Qualifiers: Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Past Champions (up to age 60): Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Henrik Stenson
Other Major Winners (2019-23): Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm
Other Qualifiers: Dean Burmester, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann, David Puig
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Two of the four majors in 2024 have defending champions who play in the LIV Golf League.
JON RAHM (Masters)
The captain of LIV Golf’s expansion team Legion XIII won his first green jacket and second career major last season, shooting a final-round 69 to win by four strokes over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
Rahm, who joined LIV Golf during the offseason, will seek to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as back-to-back Masters winners.
BROOKS KOEPKA (PGA Championship)
The Smash GC captain won his third Wanamaker Trophy and fifth career major by two strokes last year at Oak Hill. It was the first major won by an active member of LIV Golf.
Koepka, who joined LIV Golf in the second tournament of the inaugural 2022 season, will seek to join Jack Nicklaus (5), Walter Hagen (5) and Tiger Woods (4) with four or more PGA Championship titles.
PHIL'S CLOSE-CALL VENUES
HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson is the most successful LIV Golf player when it comes to majors, having won three Masters, two PGA Championships and one Open Championship. The 53-year-old will enter the 2024 major season seeking to complete the career slam at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
In addition to his three Masters wins, Mickelson has finished second at Augusta National twice, including last year. In addition, he’s finished second at each of the other three courses hosting majors in 2024.
VALHALLA (PGA) – In 2014, he finished one stroke behind winner Rory McIlroy. He also posted top-10 finishes at Valhalla in 1996 (T8) and 2000 (T9).
PINEHURST NO. 2 (U.S. Open) – In 1999, he finished one stroke behind winner Payne Stewart. He also finished top 40 at Pinehurst in 2005 (T33) and 2014 (T28).
ROYAL TROON (Open) – In 2016, he finished three shots behind winner Henrik Stenson after a legendary weekend duel. He also finished third in 2004 and T24 in 1997
Asked at LIV Golf Miami how the 2024 majors schedule sets up for his chances, Mickelson replied:
"I think it's awesome. Like I can't wait for the next four months. Starting today, the next four months of golf are exciting with the four majors and some of our best LIV events, here in Miami, at Doral, one of the best courses in the world and then going to Adelaide, which was one of the most exciting experiences I've had in golf, one of the coolest atmospheres.
"So going to Valhalla where I was a shot shy, and going to Troon where I played really well and just got beat by Stenson and Pinehurst where I had a very emotional experience, I can't believe it was 25 years ago but it's a course where short game can shine there with the crown greens and so forth. I feel like they are courses that give me an opportunity to have the some good finishes if I perform well."
NOTEWORTHY
Seven LIV Golf players are currently exempt into all four majors – Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith
Thirteen LIV Golf players will compete at the Masters, including the top three finishers from last year – defending champ Rahm, and runners-up Koepka and Mickelson (along with Patrick Reed, who tied for fourth)
Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann – who won two of the first four LIV Golf tournaments and leads the Individual Championship standings – received special invitations from the Masters and PGA Championship, and also qualified for the Open Championship
Niemann (Australian Open), Stinger GC’s Dean Burmester (Joburg Open) and Fireballs GC’s David Puig (Malaysian Open) qualified as winners in the Open Qualifying Series
Mickelson and Majesticks GC Co-Captain Henrik Stenson return to Royal Troon, site of their epic Open Championship duel in 2016 won by Stenson
Cleeks GC Captain Martin Kaymer returns to Pinehurst No. 2, site of his 2014 U.S. Open victory. This is the last year Kaymer is eligible to play the U.S. Open through that winner’s exemption
Of the 18 LIV Golfers currently exempt into at least one major, five are seeking their first major win – Burmester, Hatton, Niemann, Puig and Cleeks GC’s Adrian Meronk
MAJORS WON
A total of 14 LIV Golf players have won a combined 27 majors
PHIL MICKELSON (6) – 2004 Masters, 2005 PGA, 2006 Masters, 2010 Masters, 2013 Open
BROOKS KOEPKA (5) – 2017 U.S. Open, 2018 U.S. Open, 2018 PGA, 2019 PGA, 2023 PGA
DUSTIN JOHNSON (2) – 2016 U.S. Open, 2020 Masters
MARTIN KAYMER (2) – 2010 PGA, 2014 U.S. Open
JON RAHM (2) – 2021 U.S. Open, 2023 Masters
BUBBA WATSON (2) – 2012 Masters, 2014 Masters
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU (1) – 2020 U.S. Open
SERGIO GARCIA (1) – 2017 Masters
GRAEME McDOWELL (1) – 2010 U.S. Open
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN (1) – 2010 Open
PATRICK REED (1) – 2018 Masters
CHARL SCHWARTZEL (1) – 2011 Masters
CAMERON SMITH (1) – 2022 Open
HENRIK STENSON (1) – 2016 Open
MILESTONES
20th anniversary of Mickelson's first major victory (2004 Masters)
10th anniversary of Watson's last major victory (2014 Masters) and Kaymer's last major victory (2014 U.S. Open)
5th anniversary of Koepka's second PGA Championship win (2019)
With four major starts in 2024, Mickelson will reach 125 career major starts in his career
Garcia's 2024 Masters start will be the 25th of his career
Reed will make his 40th career major start at the Masters and Koepka will make his 40th career major start at the PGA
Rahm and Smith will make their 30th career major starts at the Masters
Should he make the cut in every major start this year, Johnson will reach 50 career made cuts in majors