Gene Frenette: USGA changeup keeping Talor Gooch out of U.S. Open was a bit underhanded

The ongoing brouhaha between the PGA Tour and LIV is bad enough, creating a golf world divide that is becoming increasingly petty as time marches on.

Well, the USGA added to the acrimony by tweaking the criteria for entry into the 2023 U.S. Open that unfairly blocks LIV’s hottest golfer, Talor Gooch, from competing. At least for now.

Unless Gooch can perform well enough at the PGA Championship to stay in the top 60 of the world golf rankings (OWGR), which would guarantee him a U.S. Open spot, the player who has won the last two LIV events won’t be able to tee it up June 15-18 at Los Angeles Country Club.

Gene's 3 previous columns

More: Gene Frenette: Jaguars' 2020 draft class came back to bite me, lots of other draft analysts

More: Gene Frenette: Good luck to AFC South rookie QBs trying to outduel Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence

More: Gene Frenette: Jaguars' OT concerns had to influence 1st-round pick of Oklahoma's Harrison

It appeared Gooch nailed down a spot in The Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship last August by qualifying for the 2022 Tour Championship on the PGA Tour. He got into The Masters, finishing tied for 34th.

While Gooch will compete at the Open, his spot at the U.S. Open remains in limbo because the USGA changed its criteria in February. Instead of saying players “qualifying” for the Tour championship would get in, it changed to players who qualified “and were eligible” for the Tour championship, which Gooch forfeited when he joined LIV and was banned from playing in the event.

Unfortunately, since the OWGR won’t allow LIV golfers to have any points toward their ranking, it’s uncertain whether Gooch — currently ranked No. 60 — can maintain or elevate that ranking to gain entry. That’s why a strong showing at the PGA Championship is necessary.

But the larger point is Gooch has performed at a high enough level to already be in the U.S. Open. He’s the only golfer impacted for U.S. Open entry by this changing of criteria, which smacks of the USGA going out of its way to exclude a LIV member.

Fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson, who once had his name attached to a lawsuit against the Tour and has been a polarizing, controversial figure against an organization that helped make him wealthy, predictably pointed an accusing finger.

“[USGA CEO] Michael Whan recently changed the wording from ‘qualfied’ for the Tour championship to ‘eligibile,’" Mickelson tweeted. “This doesn’t make the U.S. open better in any way but does help collude with the Tour.”

Collusion or not, the USGA looks petty and small for the criteria change. It’s ludicrous that Gooch is still out of a U.S. Open that has seven other LIV golfers, including Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith in the field based on other qualifying standards.

Sure, golfers who joined LIV knew not being able to get OWGR points could potentially keep them out of the majors. However, the USGA changing its criteria just as the LIV-Tour catfight was heating up doesn’t pass the smell test.

While LIV golfers shouldn’t get the same OWGR points as Tour players, given the depth of their respective fields, it’s unconscionable that they get nothing.

The truth is, golf will continue to suffer as long as LIV and the Tour fail to reach some sort of truce. For now, Gooch, who is performing too well to not be in the U.S. Open, appears to be an unfortunate victim of that bitterness.

Motivational fuel for Trevor

Not that the Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence needs any extra motivation to continue his career ascent, but NFL Network's Kyle Brandt of "Good Morning Football" ranked the AFC quarterbacks in seven tiers this week and he put Lawrence in the sixth tier, ahead of only incoming rookies and in the same tier with the likes of Mac Jones (New England Patriots) and Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers).

These silly rankings sometimes get taken way too seriously and this time, even Lawrence seemed a bit perturbed by his placement, tweeting out: "The game ain't played on paper."

Actually, maybe Jaguars fans miffed by where Brandt put Lawrence should be thankful if it ratchets up their quarterback's motivation for the 2023 season. You can bet if Trevor lights it up next season, Brandt will get plenty of social media reminders about his lack of respect for how Lawrence rebounded in the second half of 2022.

NFL draft trivia

When the Jaguars selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison in the first round, he became only the fourth Sooners player to be selected in franchise history and only the second picked in the top 100. Who was the other? Answer at bottom.

Robinson adds to long list

Prior to offensive tackle Cam Robinson’s impending suspension, the Jaguars have had a dozen players suspended by the NFL or the team for either violations related to substance abuse, performance-enhancing drugs (steroids) or personal conduct. The last one was running back Leonard Fournette for fighting Shaq Barrett in a 2018 game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Jaguars have also had receivers Justin Blackmon (4 games), Matt Jones (3 games) and Jimmy Smith (4 games) suspended for various offenses. Others on the suspension list are T.J. Slaughter (4 games), Aaron Colvin (4 games), Marcus Stroud (4 games), Justin Durant (2 games), Richard Collier (2 games), Jalen Ramsey (one game) and Dante Fowler (one game).

If Robinson’s suspension is longer than four games, it would be the second-longest in team history after receiver R. Jay Soward, who was initially suspended four games in 2001 for violating the league’s substance policy and then missed the entire 2002 season for his third violation.

Rodgers trade benefits both sides

The New York Jets' acquisition of Aaron Rodgers triggered a media frenzy to declare who got the better end of the deal, which won’t be truly known until the Jets play at least a full season with the former Green Bay Packers quarterback.

Undoubtedly, the Packers are an early winner because they received a 2023 second-round draft pick, a conditional 2024 second-rounder (flips to first round if Rodgers meets playing criteria), moved up two spots in the 2023 first round to land Iowa linebacker Lukas Van Ness and had the Jets pick up a $60 million tab in guaranteed money. All that for a player who had no intention of continuing to work for the Packers.

But any narrative of the Jets getting fleeced is also premature. This franchise has been floundering for decades without an impact quarterback, so acquiring four-time league MVP Rodgers, even at 39, brings immediate juice to the Jets and their moribund offense.

If the Jets make a significant playoff run in a quarterback-rich AFC, and Rodgers returns for a second season, then this trade becomes one in which both sides are beneficiaries. For now, it’s a win-win deal.

Since Rodgers has already talked the Jets into signing former Packers receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, among other ex-teammates, it’ll be interesting to see if long-time Jaguars and Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis, a free agent who turns 39 on May 19, will go to the Jets for an 18th season.

Quick-hitting nuggets

◦ The selection of Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller marked the 13th Gators player the Jaguars selected in franchise history, the most by any team since 1995. Six of those UF players — Fred Taylor, Reggie Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Dante Fowler, Taven Bryan and C.J. Henderson — were first-round picks, which is also the most by any NFL team in the draft’s 88-year history.

◦ In the San Francisco Giants’ 4-2 win Wednesday over the Houston Astros, leadoff hitter Austin Slater from The Bolles School started in center field and Brett Wisely from Sandalwood later entered the game as a second baseman. Those starter-substitute roles were reversed on Tuesday. In the last three decades, several Jacksonville area high school products played together in the same game, including infielders Daniel Murphy (Englewood) and Howie Kendrick (West Nassau) with the Washington Nationals in 2017-18 and Murphy later that '18 season on the Chicago Cubs with Javy Baez (Arlington Country Day). Kendrick and relief pitcher Darren O'Day were together with the Los Angeles Angels in 2008. Also, the late outfielder Ryan Freel (Englewood) and first baseman Billy Butler (Wolfson) played together for one month with the Kansas City Royals in 2009. The first Jacksonville pair on the same team were pitcher Storm Davis (University Christian) and first baseman Glen Davis (UC, no relation) with the 1992 Baltimore Orioles.

◦ This week’s passing of singer Gordon Lightfoot triggers memories of his smooth style and memorable lyrics of so many great songs, particularly “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” In the pantheon of music, he’s as underrated as Jaguars return specialist Jamal Agnew.

Kentucky Derby forecast

With Forte going off at 3-1 odds, it’s tough this year not to stick with my tradition of picking a non-favorite to win the race, but I’m going to keep doing it after one of the biggest longshots, Rich Strike, won last year as a last-minute entry. So here’s my trifecta: 1. Rocket Can 30-1; 2. Angel of Empire 8-1; 3. Tapit Trice 5-1.

Trivia answer

The only player from Oklahoma selected in the top 100 by the Jaguars before Harrison was third-round linebacker Clint Ingram (No. 80 overall, 2006). The other Sooners picked by the Jaguars were a pair of fourth-rounders, receiver Dede Westbrook (No. 110, 2017) and cornerback Aaron Colvin (No. 114, 2014).

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540  

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Shame on USGA for changeup keeping LIV golfer Talor Gooch out of U.S. Open