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LIV Golfers Invading the U.S. Open: Who's In and How They Got There

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Alright, let’s cut the crap. The U.S. Open is here. Shinnecock Hills. The whole damn thing. And guess who’s showing up? A bunch of guys who jumped ship to LIV Golf. Yeah, them. Thirteen of ’em. Thirteen guys who decided the PGA Tour wasn’t good enough, or maybe they just wanted more money. Who knows. But they’re in. And it’s kind of a mess how some of them even got here. Let’s break down who these LIV defectors are and the bloody convoluted ways they managed to snag a spot in one of golf’s biggest tests.

Look, majors are supposed to be the pinnacle, right? The best of the best. And now we’ve got this whole LIV circus crashing the party. It’s not exactly what anyone signed up for when they designed these brutal courses. Shinnecock is no joke. It’s a proper old-school test. Wind, long holes, unforgiving greens. You need your A-game. And some of these guys, their games have been… well, let’s just say different, since they went LIV. But here they are. And we gotta talk about it.

The Usual Suspects (and a Few Surprises)

So, who are these 13 players? Some names you expect, some you might scratch your head at. We’ve got the big hitters, the former champs, and a couple of guys who scraped in by the skin of their teeth. It’s a mixed bag, for sure. Makes you wonder about the whole qualification system, doesn’t it? When guys who haven’t played a single major in a year can suddenly rock up because they topped some obscure LIV ranking. Bloody madness.

Let’s start with the guys who probably earned their spot the old-fashioned way, or at least close to it. These are the guys you’d expect to see in a major, LIV or not. They’ve got the pedigree, the wins, the history. But even with them, there’s always a LIV angle to consider. Did their LIV status somehow influence their exemptions? Or did they play their way in through other tours? It’s a tangled web, this whole golf landscape right now.

The Reigning Champs and Established Stars

You can’t talk about the U.S. Open without mentioning guys who’ve won it before. And yeah, a couple of those past champions are now on the LIV payroll. It’s a bit of a slap in the face to the traditional route, but hey, rules are rules, I guess. They earned those lifetime exemptions, and they’re here to cash in. It’s hard to argue with their past success, even if their current competitive schedule is… different.

  • Bryson DeChambeau: The mad scientist himself. He’s a former U.S. Open champ (2020) and you know he’s going to be swinging for the fences at Shinnecock. He qualified by winning it back then, simple as that. His LIV status doesn’t change that he’s a past champion. He’s always a threat, no matter what tour he’s playing. He’s got that OWGR of 32, which is still respectable.
  • Jon Rahm: Another former U.S. Open winner (2021). Rahm bolted for LIV, and yeah, it raised eyebrows. But his 2021 win means he’s in. He’s a beast, plain and simple. His OWGR is 8, which is top-tier. He’s one of the guys you’d expect to contend, LIV or not. His talent is undeniable.
  • Dustin Johnson: U.S. Open champ from 2016. DJ is always a factor when he shows up. He’s got the game for any course, especially a tough one like Shinnecock. He qualified by winning it back in the day. His OWGR is 56, which is a bit lower than you might expect, but he’s a major winner. That counts for a lot.
  • Martin Kaymer: U.S. Open winner from 2010. Kaymer’s been around forever. He’s not exactly lighting up leaderboards these days, but he’s a major champion. He qualified by winning it. His OWGR is a whopping 938. Yeah, you read that right. That’s the kind of number that makes you question how he even got into contention for a spot. Final Qualifying, apparently. Bloody hell.

The LIV Standings Shuffle

This is where it gets really interesting. Or infuriating, depending on how you look at it. A chunk of these LIV guys qualified through the LIV Golf standings. This is for players who aren’t exempt through other means. It’s basically the LIV Tour saying, “Hey, we’ve got some good players too, let them play.” It’s a bit of a backdoor entry for some, and it’s definitely a sore point for a lot of traditional golf fans. You have to wonder if the USGA looked at this and thought, “Is this really what we want?”

These guys are often ranked lower in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) because LIV events don’t get the same points as PGA Tour or DP World Tour events. So, a guy who wins a LIV event might be ranked lower than someone who finishes 30th on the PGA Tour. It’s a whole mess of a system. But for these players, it’s their ticket in. It’s how they get to play on the big stage. And some of them have actually performed pretty well in past U.S. Opens, even if their current form is… questionable.

  • Adrian Meronk: He’s got an OWGR of 148. How did he qualify? Top two players in the 2025 Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour. So, he’s playing on another tour and that’s his way in. His best finish at the U.S. Open is T55 in 2025. Not exactly setting the world on fire, but he’s in.
  • Tyrrell Hatton: Ranked 21 in OWGR. He qualified by finishing in the top 10 of the 2025 U.S. Open. So, he played last year and did well enough to get a spot this year. His best finish is T4 in 2025. He’s a solid player, no doubt about it.
  • Patrick Reed: OWGR of 88. Reed qualified through the top three in LIV Golf standings, for those not otherwise exempt. He’s always a controversial figure. His best U.S. Open finish was T31 in 2020. Not exactly a standout record in this event, but he’s got the LIV backing to get him in.
  • Joel Dahmen: OWGR of 245. Another one who got in via the top three in LIV Golf standings. Dahmen’s a fan favorite, and he’s got a major championship best finish of a win (2016). Wait, that’s not right. That’s the wrong player. Joel Dahmen’s best U.S. Open finish is actually N/A. He’s just… in. Via LIV standings. It’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?
  • Abraham Ancer: OWGR of 80. Top three in LIV Golf standings. Ancer is a good player, no doubt. His best U.S. Open finish is T23 in 2020. He’s got the talent to surprise, but he’s another one who got in through that LIV pathway.
  • Carlos Ortiz: OWGR of 185. Top 10 in the 2025 U.S. Open. So, like Hatton, he played well last year and earned his spot. His best finish is T4 in 2025. He’s in based on his performance in the previous year’s major.
  • Danny Willett: OWGR of 136. He qualified by winning the 2022 Open Championship. So, that’s an exemption from another major, not directly LIV related, but he’s a LIV player now. His best U.S. Open finish is fourth in 2015. A solid performance from a past major winner.
  • Dean Burmester: OWGR of 176. He got in through Final Qualifying. This is one of the more traditional routes, even for a LIV player. It shows that even with the LIV move, some guys still have to grind through qualifying to get into majors. His best U.S. Open finish is T48 in 2018.

The Final Qualifying Hustle

And then there are the guys who had to go through Final Qualifying. This is the real underdog story, the grind. These are players who aren’t exempt by their past performances or world rankings, so they have to play their way in. It’s a brutal day of golf, often with dozens of players fighting for just a handful of spots. It’s a reminder that even in this fractured golf world, there are still pathways for players to prove themselves. It’s kind of refreshing, honestly, to see someone earn it the hard way.

It’s also a testament to the fact that even if you’re playing LIV, you still have to perform. You can’t just sit back and expect exemptions. You still have to put in the work. And for these guys, that work paid off. It’s a different kind of pressure, playing in a qualifier. You know that if you don’t play well, you’re done. No second chances. It’s raw golf. And it’s good to see these guys make it through.

  • Brendan Steele: OWGR of 176. He made it through Final Qualifying. Steele is a veteran player, and it’s good to see him battling for a spot in a major. His best U.S. Open finish is T48 in 2018.
  • Cameron Tringale: OWGR of 280. He also got through Final Qualifying. Tringale is another player who has made the move to LIV. His best U.S. Open finish is N/A, meaning he hasn’t had a significant finish in this event before. But he fought his way in this year.

The U.S. Open: Still the Ultimate Test?

So, there you have it. Thirteen LIV Golf members at the U.S. Open. Some got in through past wins, some through LIV standings, some through other tours, and some through sheer grit in qualifying. It’s a complicated picture, and it highlights the ongoing divisions in professional golf. Whether you agree with LIV or not, these players are here. They’ve earned their way in, one way or another. And they’ll be battling it out at Shinnecock Hills. It’s going to be interesting to see how they perform against the rest of the field. Will they prove they still belong on the biggest stage? Or will the pressure and the course expose any weaknesses? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a talking point for the entire week. You can find more information on the U.S. Open and its qualifying events on the official USGA website.

The U.S. Open is supposed to be the ultimate test of golf. It’s where champions are made, and legends are forged. It’s a brutal examination of every aspect of a player’s game. And this year, it’s also a stage for the ongoing drama of professional golf. We’ve got the established tours, the upstart LIV Golf, and a bunch of players caught in the middle. It’s a mess, but it’s also kind of compelling. You can’t look away, can you? We’ll see who comes out on top. But don’t expect any easy answers. This is the U.S. Open, after all. It’s supposed to be tough.