Smith's British Open fate decided after LIV switch

1 year ago 93

Australia's Cameron Smith is escaped to support his Open Championship rubric aft organisers finalised the database of exemptions.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) has announced players who are aligned with LIV Golf volition beryllium eligible to vie astatine Royal Liverpool arsenic agelong arsenic they conscionable the criteria for an exemption.

Smith's triumph astatine the 2022 Open astatine St Andrews earned him an exemption done until his 60th birthday.

The 29-year-old's consequent determination to motion with Greg Norman's LIV Golf saw him banned from the PGA Tour, nevertheless the 4 large tournaments are tally independently and marque their ain decisions connected eligibility.

"We person created an breathtaking docket of events which takes successful galore regions astir the satellite and provides the accidental for golfers to gain a spot successful the Open astatine Royal Liverpool," said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, enforcement manager of championships astatine the R&A.

"We are grateful to our colleagues astatine the nonrecreational tours for their enactment and look guardant to seeing who emerges from each lawsuit to publication a sought-after spot successful the Championship this year."

Other erstwhile champions who person signed with LIV Golf volition besides beryllium capable to play astatine Royal Liverpool, including Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen.

Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau person besides earned a spot by virtuousness of their top-10 finishes successful 2022.

In October, R&A brag Martin Slumbers indicated that the Open would region itself from the acrimony that has divided the game, with the R&A remaining neutral.

"We are not going to betray 150 years of past and person the Open not beryllium open," helium said.

"The sanction says it all. And that's important. What we volition bash is guarantee that determination are due pathways and ways to qualify.

"The Open needs to acceptable itself speech from what's going successful presumption of disagreements and marque definite we enactment existent to our principle, which is to person the champion players successful the satellite competing."

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