LIV Golf players allowed to play at Open Championship, R&A announces

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The R&A made it official Tuesday, announcing that qualifying LIV Golf players will be permitted to play in the 151st edition of The Open Championship this year at Royal Liverpool. 

It’s been trending in this direction with the R&A saying for months it doesn’t view Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf like the PGA Tour does. R&A chief Martin Slumbers said banning LIV golfers is "not on our agenda."

So players like Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson and last year’s winner of The Open, Cam Smith, will be allowed to play despite being on the LIV tour. 

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Cameron Smith of Australia during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Invitational — Boston at The Oaks golf course at The International Aug. 31, 2022, in Bolton, Mass. (Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf/via Getty Images)

"We have created an exciting schedule of events which takes in many regions around the world and provides the chance for golfers to earn a place in The Open at Royal Liverpool," executive director of champions at the R&A Johnnie Cole-Hamilton said, via ESPN. 

"We are grateful to our colleagues at the professional tours for their support and look forward to seeing who emerges from each event to book a sought-after place in the championship this year."

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The Open is one of the four major championships in the game of golf, and it’s expected that all golfers will be allowed to play in them no matter which tour they play in.

The Masters, for example, will be the first major played this year, and Augusta