LIV Golf’s 2023 champion Talor Gooch confirmed he won’t be attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open or Open Championship meaning he will not make a single Major Championship start this year.
The American has been one of the hottest players on planet golf over the last year, winning three times on the LIV Golf League in 2023, while finishing inside the top ten on three occasions this season.
But as the breakaway circuit does not receive any World Ranking points, Gooch finds himself all the way down in 624th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), so cannot qualify via the top 60 in the OWGR the week before the U.S. Open or the top 50 the week before The Open.
With Gooch not earning an exemption through any other category, the only way he could have qualified for the final two Major Championships of the season would have been through open qualifying.
But despite being in the best form of his life, he doesn’t seem bothered about showcasing his game on golf’s biggest stages.
"I'm not,” said Gooch when asked if he intended to try and qualify for the last two Majors of the year.
Gooch’s curt response comes just a couple of months after hitting the headlines for comments he made about a potential Rory McIlroy Grand Slam victory at the Masters Tournament.
"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. It’s just the reality,” said the American.
While Gooch won’t be attempting to win a Major this year, his Smash GC teammates, Graeme McDowell and Jason Kokrak, confirmed they’ll be entering qualifying as they bid to tee up at Pinehurst No.2 and Royal Troon.
"I personally am," said Kokrak.
“Doing the U.S. Open in Columbus and then the Open in Manchester. I plan on playing both of them."
McDowell added: "Yeah, I'm the same. I've entered for both qualifiers. I think I'm in Florida Monday of Houston and then just south of London the Tuesday of the International Series Morocco, which I'll go and play right after the Open qualifying series.
"Obviously I'll be pulling hard for this guy [teammate Brooks Koepka] in a couple weeks' time [at the PGA Championship] but obviously trying to get into a couple Majors myself."
