Two LIV golfers receive invites to US PGA Championship at Valhalla

Gooch broke the news himself on social media on Monday, with tournament officials confirming it when releasing the field which will compete at Valhalla Golf Club on Tuesday.

Two places remain open for the winners of this week’s two PGA Tour events.

Gooch has plummeted to 644th in the world rankings since joining LIV, but won three times on the Saudi-funded breakaway last year and has questioned the absence of LIV players from previous majors.

Ahead of last month’s Masters, Gooch claimed the event would require an asterisk if Rory McIlroy won it to complete the career grand slam “without some of the best players in the world” in the field at Augusta National.

Gooch said recently he had no plans to try to qualify for the US Open at Pinehurst or July’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

The 32-year-old qualified for last year’s US Open by finishing in the top 30 in the 2022 FedEx Cup, but was unhappy that the USGA invoked a clause stating that a player must also be eligible for the Tour Championship.

By joining LIV, Gooch was suspended from the PGA Tour and therefore ineligible for the season-ending event.