Sergio Garcia leads 14 LIV Golf stars in last-ditch attempt to make The Open

With many LIV Golf members seeing a significant drop in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after joining the Saudi-backed tour, a large group is now seeking to qualify for this year’s Open Championship through final qualifying events.

Among the prominent names, former Masters champion Sergio Garcia is one of 14 LIV Golf players attempting to secure a spot at Royal Troon. The 36-hole qualifiers will be held next Tuesday, July 2, at four venues: West Lancashire, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, and Burnham & Berrow. A minimum of 16 places are up for grabs.

Garcia, who narrowly missed qualifying for the 2023 Open at West Lancashire, is set to compete at the same venue again. He will be joined by fellow LIV player Marc Leishman, who finished second in the 2015 Open Championship. Other LIV players at West Lancashire include Sebastian Munoz, Kieran Vincent, Carlos Ortiz, Jason Kokrak, and Sam Horsfield.

In Scotland, Peter Uihlein and Danny Lee will compete at Dundonald Links. Meanwhile, Royal Cinque Ports in Kent will host former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who, like Garcia, failed to qualify last year. McDowell will be accompanied by Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, who recently qualified for the U.S. Open.

At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Abraham Ancer, Anirban Lahiri, and LIV reserve Laurie Canter will vie for a place in the Open Championship. The final qualifying events will also feature several notable players from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, including 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who will play at Burnham & Berrow.

Royal Cinque Ports will see Alex Noren, who recently finished tied-12th at the PGA Championship, compete for a spot. Additionally, in-form PGA Tour player Thomas Detry, who has had strong finishes in recent majors, will be participating. Robert Rock, who recently returned to competitive golf and qualified for the U.S. Open, is entered in the Dundonald Links qualifier, seeking another major appearance.

This year’s final qualifiers promise to be a competitive battleground as both LIV and traditional tour players aim to earn their places in one of golf’s most prestigious events.