US Open chief says LIV golfers could face ban from future tournaments

Those who preside over the US Open have suggested golfers who have signed up for the rebel LIV Golf Series could be banned for future stagings of this major tournament.

The former US Open champions Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer and Bryson DeChambeau are among those who have been banned by the PGA Tour after committing to the Saudi Arabia‑backed breakaway. The subject has dominated discussion in the lead-up to the third men’s major of the year, at the Country Club in Brookline. The PGA Tour has no direct power over the US Open but relationships within golf’s ecosystem are strong.

When asked whether he can envisage a scenario in the future where the LIV group are blocked from US Open participation the USGA’s chief executive, Mike Whan, said: “Yes.” Asked to expand on this position, Whan said: “I just answered the question, ‘Could I foresee a day? Yeah, I could foresee a day.’ Do I know what that day looks like? No, I don’t.

“To be honest with you, what we’re talking about was different two years ago, and it was different two months ago than it is today. We’ve been doing this for 127 years, so I think the three of us and everybody else that we work with need to take a long-term view of this and see where these things go so we’re not going to be a kneejerk reaction to what we do.

“But the question was: ‘Could you envision a day where it would be harder for some folks doing different things to get into a US Open?’ I could. Will that be true? I don’t know but I can definitely foresee that day.”

Whan revealed the USGA gave late consideration to preventing LIV golfers from playing in this 122nd staging of the US Open, but ultimately believed that unfair and impractical. “We ran this championship by asking ourselves, did those