5 LIV Golf stars missing US Open after Jon Rahm WD

And then there were 12. 

Jon Rahm’s failure to recover from a foot infection that forced him out of last week’s LIV Golf event has seen him withdraw from this week’s US Open. 

The Spaniard’s major misery continues in 2024 after a T45 at the Masters was followed up by a missed cut at the PGA Championship.

Now only a dozen LIV players are competing at Pinehurst No.2 and Rahm’s withdrawal is a significant blow to the bosses who would love this week’s winner to come from the Saudi-backed league.

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Former champions Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will lead the LIV charge at the famed North Carolina course, while Sergio Garcia sneaked in as an alternate on Monday after agony in Final Qualifying.

But a number of high profile players competing on the LIV circuit won’t be teeing it up in the penultimate major of the season.

Here’s four other LIV players missing at Pinehurst…

Joaquin Niemann

The Chilean, who earned special invites to both the Masters and the PGA Championship, will also be at Royal Troon next month after sealing his place in the Open via last December’s win at the Australian Open.

But the US Open will be the sole major Niemann is absent from this year. He missed out by a single shot at Final Qualifying and continues to suffer from LIV’s world rankings plight.

Patrick Reed

The 2018 Masters champion’s run of 41 consecutive majors is over – and he’s not thrilled about it.

“I feel like the world ranking is not a reflection of where I should be and what events I should be in,” he said after his US Open absence was confirmed. “But at the end of the day, I don’t make those decisions. It’s their call on special exemptions. They’re the ones that make those decisions and I just have to live with it, just continue doing what I do and play golf.”

Reed added that his best option was to skip US Open qualifying as his qualifier in Dallas was scheduled the day after the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla – where he finished in a tie for 53rd.

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Talor Gooch

He has made no secret that he feels he should be in the majors, but Gooch turned down the chance to punch his ticket to Pinehurst via Final Qualifying.

LIV’s individual champion in 2023 was not awarded a discretionary pick to the Masters and finished T60 in his sole major start this season at the PGA Championship.

Carlos Ortiz

He’s not at Pinehurst, but he thinks he should be.

“We’re going to get back into the majors because I know that I’m one of the best players in the world right now, and I deserve to be there,” Ortiz said after winning LIV’s Houston event last week.

The World No. 237 entered Final Qualifying for the major – but a double bogey on the 36th hole of a marathon day proved costly for the Mexican in his Dallas qualifier.

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.