Saturday, December 14, 2024

Gooch and Puig afforded PGA Championship Valhalla invitations – Irish Golfer Magazine

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Talor Gooch and David Puig have added to the the number of LIV Golf stars who will tee-up in next week’s PGA Championship on the host Valhalla course in Louisville, Kentucky.

The PGA of America, as organisers of the year’s second major championship, announced that both Gooch and Puig have been afforded an invitation to compete in the event.

Gooch‘s invitation is significant because he rarely plays outside of the LIV Golf schedule and his Valhalla invitation is based purely on his performance in the Saudi-funded league.

The now 32-year Oklahoma-born Gooch has been one of the tour’s form players having won three times on LIV last year, including the historical event at Valderrama on Spain’s Costa-del-Sol.

“We look at all lists,” Haigh said in March. “If players are deserving, hopefully we would invite them.”

The PGA of America last month said Joaquin Niemann had received an invitation. Niemann also received a special invitation to the Masters – Augusta National cited his victory in the Australian Open without mentioning his LIV victory in February.

Gooch indicated last week while competing in Singapore he had no intention of joining more than 30 LIV players who plan on trying to qualify for the U.S. Open. LIV events do not offer world ranking points, and he has fallen to No. 644 in the world.

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