Gooch, you can't be serious

You think you're major worthy? Prove it. As for Tiger, he's earned a pass

Talor Gooch (left) is the only Smash player not trying to play majors (Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)

Regardless of where you stand on the LIV Golf spectrum of interest and enthusiasm, we should all be able to agree on one thing — Talor Gooch is not a serious golfer.

That’s not to say that Gooch is not a talented player. He’s a gifted golfer who has the potential to be special if he applied himself at all. But the 2023 LIV player of the year with three victories on the breakaway circuit last season doesn’t seem remotely interested in making an effort to step up in class.

The 32-year-old Gooch has complained about not getting exemptions into any of the four major championships this season, but he refuses to even try to qualify and prove his worthiness. Feeling entitled is not a good look, Gooch.

At a press conference before LIV Golf Singapore with his Smash GC teammates, Gooch proved once and for all that he’s not a major-caliber competitor. When the group was asked about U.S. Open and Open Championship qualifying on the near horizon, Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell made it clear they want to join Smash captain Brooks Koepka on this summer’s major stages and are willing to do what it takes to get there.

“I personally am; doing the U.S. Open in Columbus (Ohio) and then the Open in Manchester (England). I plan on playing both of them,” Kokrak said of qualifying.

“Yeah, I’m the same,” said McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion at Pebble Beach. “I’ve entered for both qualifiers” in Florida and London.

Said Gooch bluntly: “I’m not.” Then he lowered his microphone to his lap.

Seriously, he’s not a serious golfer. Real golfers are willing to compete to prove their mettle. Gooch either feels entitled or isn’t really interested in competing outside his own little guaranteed no-cut world on LIV.

Gooch has played in 11 career majors, missing the cut in four and only twice finishing better than 33rd — a T14 at the Masters and T20 at the PGA in 2022. Yet the now No. 624 Gooch was able to say in all seriousness earlier this year that Rory McIlroy completing the career slam at Augusta would be diminished because he and several LIV mates were not in the field.

“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk,” Gooch said. “It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”

No question the majors are better when the best of the best are all there — it’s why they’re majors. But for generations the best players have been willing to go through qualifying to get the chance to play in the “open” championships — players with far bigger credentials than one-time fall series PGA Tour winner Gooch has on his career ledger.

USGA CEO Mike Whan said at a U.S. Women’s Open media day last week that he welcomes LIV golfers “with open arms” to qualify just like PGA Tour pros and amateur Joe’s who aspire to test themselves in the national championship.

“One of the advantages we have versus most other championships in golf is, a lot of other championships call themselves open but we are the most open, meaning half of the spots in the U.S. Open are not held and are going to be filled by qualifying players,” Whan said.

Sergio Garcia qualified to play in last year’s U.S. Open in Los Angeles because his exemptions have run out for winning the 2017 Masters. He tried and failed to play in the Open Championship at Hoylake. All credit to a veteran of 98 majors for trying — as the 44-year-old will again via final 36-hole qualifying to try to earn a spot at Pinehurst.

At the other end of the career spectrum is another Spaniard, David Puig, who has played in only one career major after qualifying for and finishing T39 in last year’s U.S. Open. Puig once again signed up for final qualifying for Pinehurst and hopes to get a special exemption next week from the PGA of America for the PGA Championship. Although Puig, 22, has not had a top-10 in six LIV Golf events this year, he’s spent considerable time chasing OWGR points at low-points events around the world.

Since last year’s major debut at Los Angeles Country Club, Puig has played in 11 OWGR tournaments, 10 of them affiliated with the Asian Tour. He’s won twice (International Series Singapore and the Malaysian Open), lost in a playoff at the International Series Macau in March and post three other top-five finishes, including a fifth at the Saudi Open two weeks ago. He was outside of the top 1,000 in the world a year ago and is now No. 105. The PGA Championship traditionally invites players in the top 100 not otherwise exempt. If the PGA wants to reward effort and perseverance, Puig will get a worthy invite.

For some reason, Gooch thinks he’s above all that hard work. Like he’s some marquee actor who thinks he’s too good to have to audition for a role and that it should just be given to him. He barely even plays OWGR points eligible events outside of LIV (only five non-majors since 2022), eschewing the motivation and initiative that sent Joaquin Niemann chasing points across the world outside LIV to warrant invitations to play the Masters, PGA and Open Championship this year.   

LIV Golf has nine players exempt for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June. According to the USGA, of the remaining 46 LIV golfers, only 11 are not even bothering to try to qualify — Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Thomas Pieters, Matt Wolff, Charles Howell, Pat Perez, Richard Bland, Anthony Kim and Gooch. The rest of them — 35 players including major champs Garcia, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Henrik Stenson and McDowell — are making an effort via signing up for final 36-hole qualifying.

Gooch has said a lot of head-scratching and stupid things in the last few years, but it’s his inaction that tells you the true nature of is competitiveness. He shouldn’t be taken seriously anymore as a competitor as long as he’s unwilling to compete.

LIV players exempt from qualifying 2024 U.S. Open 

Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Adrian Meronk, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith,

LIV players not exempt for 2024 U.S. Open 

Signed up for final qualifying: Abraham Ancer, Dean Burmester, Laurie Canter, Eugenio Chacarra, Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace, Lucas Herbert, Sam Horsfield, Matt Jones, Jason Kokrak, Jinichiro Kozuma, Anirban Lahiri, Danny Lee, Marc Leishman, Graeme McDowell, Sebastian Munoz, Kevin Na, Joaquin Niemann, Andy Ogletree, Carlos Ortiz, Mito Pereira, David Puig, Patrick Reed, Kalle Samooja, Charl Schwartzel, Brendan Steele, Henrik Stenson, Caleb Surratt, Hudson Swafford, Cameron Tringale, Peter Uihlein, Harold Varner III, Kieran Vincent, Scott Vincent and Lee Westwood.

Not signed up for final qualifying: Richard Bland, Paul Casey, Talor Gooch, Charles Howell III, Anthony Kim, Louis Oosthuizen, Pat Perez, Thomas Pieters, Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson and Matthew Wolff.

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Nine-time USGA champion Tiger Woods gets a pass into Pinehurst (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Tiger gets expected U.S. Open special exemption

There was never any doubt this would happen. Tiger Woods likely pushed back on when it would be offered, but the United States Golf Association was always going to do this and Woods was always going to accept.

For the first time since the 1996 PGA Championship, Woods, 48, is not exempt for a major championship. That is the case with the U.S. Open next month at Pinehurst, and that little matter was rectified on Thursday when the USGA announced it was giving the three-time champion and 15-time major winner an exemption.

The USGA does not hand these out every year. The last time it did so was in 2021, when it offered a spot to Phil Mickelson at Torrey Pines. A week later, Mickelson won the PGA Championship at Kiawah to make it unnecessary.

Woods’ five-year exemption for winning the 2019 Masters expired last year. He has not played the U.S. Open since missing the cut at Winged Foot in 2020.

“The U.S. Open, our national championship, is a truly special event for our game and one that has helped define my career,” Woods said in a statement. “I’m honored to receive this exemption and could not be more excited for the opportunity to compete in this year’s U.S. Open, especially at Pinehurst, a venue that means so much to the game.”

Woods has played in two U.S. Opens at Pinehurst No. 2 — tying for third just two shots behind Payne Stewart in 1999 and finishing runner-up by a shot in 2005 to Michael Campbell. He missed the U.S. Open in 2014 at Pinehurst, won by Martin Kaymer, due to back surgery.

There are numerous reasons the USGA could point to as it relates to Woods getting an exemption. He is the only player to win the U.S. Junior Amateur three straight times. He followed that with three consecutive U.S. Amateur wins. And his nine USGA men’s titles is matched only by Bobby Jones.

Earlier this year, Woods was selected to receive the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor. It will present the award to him during U.S. Open week.

“The story of the U.S. Open could not be written without Tiger Woods,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer. ”From his 15-stroke victory at Pebble Beach in 2000 to his inspiring win on a broken leg at Torrey Pines in 2008, this championship is simply better when Tiger is in the field, and his accomplishments in the game undoubtedly made this an easy decision for our special exemption committee.”

Woods also captured the championship in 2002 at Bethpage Black and was runner-up twice, in 2005 and 2007.

For perspective, Jack Nicklaus — who won the U.S. Open four times — received special exemptions on eight occasions. Arnold Palmer, whose lone U.S. Open victory came in 1960 at Cherry Hills, received five.

Woods said again this week he hoped to play in the remaining major championships this year. The PGA Championship begins in two weeks at Valhalla, where he won in 2000.