First Look: LIV Golf Miami
FROM MIAMI TO MAJORS
LIV Golf Miami represents the all-important final stop on the 2025 LIV Golf schedule before this year’s major season begins.
Nearly a quarter of the field competing at Trump National Doral will be heading to Augusta National the following week for the Masters.
Of the 54 full-time LIV Golf players this season, seven are past Masters champions – three-time winner Phil Mickelson; two-time winner Bubba Watson; Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel.
“Miami is good preparation for Augusta,” said Garcia, whose Fireballs GC have won three consecutive LIV Golf team titles. “There’s nothing better than competition to get ready for a major.”
In addition, reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2023 PGA champion Brooks Koepka and 2022 Open winner Cameron Smith are in the Masters, along with special invite Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton, a top-10 finisher last year.
Those 12 players are among the 21 LIV Golf regulars who are currently exempt into at least one major this year.
The most recent exemptions came last week at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn, part of the Open Qualifying Series that rewarded three spots to the top qualifiers in Macau.
Carlos Ortiz won the tournament and was joined by Patrick Reed and Jason Kokrak as the three qualifiers heading to Royal Portrush in July.
Numerous LIV Golf players are scheduled to participate in qualifying tournaments this summer for the U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Meanwhile, in a key recognition of LIV Golf’s involvement in golf’s ecosystem, two major organizations will recognize LIV Golf performance as part of their exemption process starting this season.
The U.S. Open will reward an exemption to the leading LIV Golf player not already exempt among the top three of the individual standings as of May 19. The Open will provide a similar exemption for the leading player among the top five in the standings after LIV Golf Dallas.
Those pathways are important as LIV Golf players continue to make their presence known in the majors.
Koepka and DeChambeau have won their most recent majors after joining LIV Golf, while Richard Bland won two senior majors in 2024 that earned him exemptions into this season’s PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Garcia is making his 100th career major start when he tees off at the Masters.
Phil Mickelson will end the 2025 major season having made 129 career major starts, which will put him fifth on the all-time list behind Jack Nicklaus (164), Gary Player (150), Tom Watson (145) and Arnold Palmer (142).
Mickelson has more major titles (six) than any other LIV Golf player. A total of 14 LIV Golf players – representing 11 different teams – have won a combined 28 majors.
