Talor Gooch has no plans to qualify for Majors

LIV Golf’s reigning champion, Talor Gooch, has decided to forgo attempting to qualify for both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship, signaling that he won’t be gracing any Major Championship this year. Despite his stellar performance in the past year, clinching three victories on the LIV Golf League and securing top-ten finishes thrice this season, Gooch finds himself at a lowly 624th position in the Official World Golf Ranking. This ranking disparity means he doesn’t qualify through the top 60 or 50 criteria for the U.S. Open and The Open respectively.

While Gooch could have pursued qualification through open qualifying routes, he appears unperturbed by the prospect of missing out on golf’s grandest stages, expressing a succinct “I’m not” when questioned about his intentions to try and qualify for the Majors.

This decision follows Gooch’s earlier remarks regarding a potential Rory McIlroy Grand Slam victory at the Masters Tournament, where he suggested that such an achievement might carry an asterisk if accomplished without facing off against the best players in the world.

Contrary to Gooch’s stance, his Smash GC teammates, Graeme McDowell and Jason Kokrak, have affirmed their commitment to qualifying for the Majors. Kokrak plans to participate in the qualifiers for both the U.S. Open and The Open, while McDowell has also entered for both qualifiers, scheduling them amidst his other tournament commitments.

Despite Gooch’s absence from the Major Championship scene this year, McDowell and Kokrak are determined to vie for spots at Pinehurst No.2 and Royal Troon, demonstrating their eagerness to compete on golf’s most prestigious platforms.