Masters champion calls for 15 LIV stars in every major

Bubba Watson has reiterated his belief that the leading 15 LIV golfers should qualify for every major.

Without access to Official World Golf Ranking points, LIV players have limited opportunity to qualify for the big four tournaments as they continue to slide down the rankings.

However, two of the governing bodies controlling the majors have recognising LIV in recent weeks by creating direct pathways for players from the breakaway league to their tournaments.

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The Open and the US Open will allow one direct spot into their fields, while The Masters and PGA Championship have offered special invites to LIV players in recent times.

However, LIV golfers otherwise still need to play in 36-hole qualifying marathons if they are to compete in The Open or US Open, with LIV insiders frustrated that more spots have not been made available.

And Watson, who has not played a major other than the Masters – where he has past champion exemption status for life  – since 2022, believes those concessions should only be the start.

“Any chance we have to get into the majors, get all of us playing together again, it’s always a good thing,” the two-time Masters champion said.

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“My thoughts have always been we should just go off of our points list or our money list and have 15 guys from LIV be in all the majors, the top 15 from the year before .That’s what I’ve always said.

“This is a start in the right direction. That people recognize that LIV is here to stay and that LIV is not going anywhere, and it’s only getting better.

“The majors are seeing that, and the majors realise for that one week that they have an event, they need us to join in there and play so we can get some media attention but also show how good LIV is and what team sport is all about.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 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.