LIV Golf stars handed majors lifeline after being left in world rankings limbo

LIV Golf stars have been given the chance to play their way into next season's Open Championship, with three spots in the major on offer at this week's Australian Open

Two stars from LIV Golf are set to compete for a coveted spot in next season's Open Championship, with three places up for grabs at this week's Australian Open.

Aussie golf natives Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, and Lucas Herbert will all participate in their home event on the DP World Tour, having also competed in last week's Australian PGA Championship. They'll be joined by fellow LIV star Joaquin Niemann, who is defending the title he won last year.

Niemann's 2023 victory earned him a place at this year's Open at Royal Troon, a prize that's once again available this year. Smith, a former world No. 2, doesn't need to worry about securing his Open spot, having already won the Claret Jug in 2022 at St Andrews.

However, his Ripper teammates Leishman and Herbert will be battling it out for the spot. Leishman, a former PGA Tour star who hasn't competed in a major since 2022, will no doubt be eager to secure his return. Many LIV golfers, like Leishman, have plummeted down the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) due to the Saudi-backed circuit not carrying ranking points.

Looking to make a difference in his home country this week, he stated: "I think those three Open spots are huge. Definitely a big drawcard for this event. We all want to be playing the majors, but certainly, it's extra motivation to play well this week if we need any.

"The Open championship spots, they have a few events that have it and if it works in, I'll definitely look at playing those. But as far as world rankings and chasing those for me, I'm not going to do that."

The top three players who aren't already exempt will secure a trip to Royal Portrush as part of the R&A's 2025 Open Qualifying Series. Niemann's performance in Australia and beyond last year also earned him a rare invite to compete at the Masters, which is clearly Herbert's motivation.

"So Jaoco [Niemann] last year, it's obviously a great treat and if one of us was to win this week and we got the invite to play the Masters, it'd be very, very cool," he claimed.

"I'd love to get back into a landscape of golf where something translates a bit more directly for us playing obviously out there on LIV. Major exemptions are really important. It's a big focus of ours and I think you probably see a few more guys from LIV coming out to play these events or play the Aussie Open anyway, in years to come with those on the table."