Six LIV Golf players receive special invites for PGA Championship

The significant representation for the breakaway circuit in the season’s second major has been teed up after six LIV Golf players were handed special invites by the PGA of America.

Talor Gooch, who won three times on the rebel circuit last year to be crowned as its No 1 at the end of the season, is one of the players to be handed a golden ticket for the Kentucky event.

Former Masters champion Patrick Reed has also secured a spot in the Wanamaker Trophy tournament, as has Pole Adrian Meronk, who was voted Player of the Year by his peers on the DP World Tour last year before switching to LIV Golf for the start of its 2024 campaign along with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.

Also on the list is South African Dean Burmester, a double winner on home soil on the DP World Tour at the start of the current campaign before also tasting victory in LIV Golf’s Miami event after beating Sergio Garcia in a play-off.

Surprisingly, Burmester’s compatriot and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who also won back-to-back on the DP World Tour in December, hasn’t received a special invitation, with the others going to Spaniard David Puig and Australian Lucas Herbert.

Bob MacIntyre, who secured his spot through playing in last year’s Ryder Cup and then staying inside the world’s top 100 for the final cut-off at the start of this week, is the sole Scot in a field that includes 33 major champions.