Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz, David Puig qualify to make it 15 LIV members in U.S. Open
Members of the LIV Golf League may be able to return to the PGA Tour next season under conditions that have yet to be determined.
For now, they have two more opportunities to play outside of the LIV schedule, the next coming June 15-18 with the U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, followed by the British Open July 20-23 at Royal Liverpool.
Three LIV players qualified for the U.S. Open in 36-hole sectionals on Monday, Carlos Ortiz, Sebastian Munoz and David Puig. They will join 12 other players who had already secured their berths through other exemption categories: PGA champion Brooks Koepka, past U.S. Open champions Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, 2021 PGA champion Phil Mickelson, 2022 British Open champion Cameron Smith, Abraham Ancer, Martin Kaymer, Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia.
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The three sectional qualifiers on Monday all turned in clutch performances:
Ortiz played his last five holes at 2-under with no bogeys for a 71 in the second round at the Pine Tree Club in Boynton Beach, then won a three-for-one playoff.
Munoz opened with a 66 at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., shot 73 in the second round but survived a four-for-two playoff.
Puig birdied his last hole at the Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles to complete a 64 and a tie for second, avoiding a return on Tuesday morning for a playoff for the last two spots.
The 15 LIV players who will be in the Open are a bit lower than the previous two majors this season (18 at the Masters, 17 at the PGA). Currently, with five weeks left, 11 LIV players are eligible for the British Open, led by past champions Mickelson, Smith, Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen.
Double duty
How did Viktor Hovland celebrate his victory on Sunday in The Memorial?
By getting up before dawn and going to the nearby Brookside Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, to caddy for his former Oklahoma State teammate and roomie Zach Bauchou in a U.S. Open sectional qualifier.
Hovland earned $3.6 million for winning in a playoff with Denny McCarthy at Muirfield Village.
The story didn’t have a happy ending. Bauchou shot 72-76—148 and at 4-over, finished 12 shots behind the cut to make the Open.
The gesture to his buddy certainly wasn't surprising to anyone who knows Hovland, as humble a star as they come. Two years ago at The Players Hovland was asked if being a PGA Tour winner had changed his life from a financial standpoint.
His reply: "I'm not afraid to order double meat at Chipotle."
Tour, John Deere renew
The PGA Tour has renewed a contract with one of its longest-running title sponsors. The Tour and John Deere extended its agreement for an undisclosed number of years, extending a partnership that began in 1998.
The John Deere Classic has been played at the TPC Deere Run since 2000 and will be July 6-9. The tournament has raised $159.57 million for charity since it began as the Quad Cities Classic in 1971, 98 percent since John Deere became the sponsor.
“The John Deere Classic is a signature example of one of the PGA Tour’s most engaged communities coming together to achieve great things,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “As title sponsor, John Deere has gone above and beyond to help create an outstanding experience for our players and golf fans, while making a lasting impact with local nonprofits.”
Stricker still hot
Steve Stricker didn’t win the Principle Charity Championship on Sunday – he finished one shot behind Stephen Ames, who tied Stricker for the most victories on the PGA Tour Champions with his third.
But Stricker (16-under, with rounds of 64-68-68) has finished among the top-10 in all 10 of his 2023 starts and for his 14 starts, dating back to last season. In the final round, he logged his 52nd consecutive round of par or lower, adding to his all-time record, and his 32 rounds of par or better to start the season are a Champions Tour record.
Sticker may not have won but he was the only player to not make a bogey in the tournament. The last bogey-free rounds in a 54-hole event was Steven Alker in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Stricker remained on top of the Schwab Cup standings for the ninth week in 12 this season.
Heading for Liverpool
Andrew Putnam, Adam Schenk and Lee Hodges got a bonus last week for their finishes in The Memorial.
Putnam (tie for fifth), Schenk (tie for seventh) and Hodges (tie for 12th) got into the British Open at Royal Liverpool July 20-23 as the top-three finishers at The Memorial not otherwise qualified qualify for the 2023 Open Championship, one of the eligibility categories created by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
But it wasn’t easy for any of them. Putnam shot 70 to get into a tie with Jordan Spieth for fifth but bogeyed his last two holes. Schenk shot 71 and was 1-over on his last five holes and Hodges struggled with a 76, with four bogeys and no birdies among his last 13 holes.
PGA TOUR
Event: RBC Canadian Open, Thursday-Sunday, Oakdale Golf and Country Club, Toronto.
At stake: $9 million purse ($1.62 million and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30-5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.); CBS (Saturday, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-6:30 p.m.).
Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Jonathan Byrd, Lanto Griffin, Patton Kizzire, Russell Knox, David Lingmerth, Keith Mitchell, Doc Redman, Davis Thompson, Carl Yuan.
Notable: McIlroy shot 62 in the final round at St. George’s in Toronto to beat Tony Finau (64) by two shots. Justin Rose had a 60 to tie for fourth. … While Oakdale is nearly 100 years old, the Stanley Thompson design is hosting the Canadian Open for the first time. … Also playing are Matthew Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Michael Block.
LPGA TOUR
Event: Shoprite LPGA Classic, Friday-Sunday, Seaview Bay Course, Galloway, N.J.
At stake: $1.75 million purse ($262,500 to the winner).
Defending champion: Brooke M. Henderson.
TV: Golf Channel (Friday, 12;230 p.m.; Saturday, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-5 p.m.).
Area players entered: Chella Choi, Mel Reid.
Notable: Henderson shot 64 in the final round to come from four shots behind, then beat Lindsey Weaver-Wright with an eagle on the first playoff hole.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Event: American Family Insurance Championship, Friday-Sunday, University Ridge Golf Club, Madison, Wis.
At stake: $2.4 million purse ($432,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Thongchai Jaidee
TV: Golf Channel (Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8-10 p.m.).
Area players entered: David Duval, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh.
Notable: Jaidee defeated Tom Pernice Jr., by one shot in a tournament hosted by Steve Stricker.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Event: BMW Charity Pro-Am, Thursday-Sunday, The Thornblade Club, Greer, S.C.
At stake: $1 million purse ($180,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Robby Shelton.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday, 12-2 p.m.; Friday, 8:30-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.; Sunday, 5-7 p.m.).
Area players entered: Blayne Barber, Sebastian Cappelen, A.J. Crouch, Cody Glick,
Notable: Shelton shot 61 in the third round but had to beat Ben Griffin with a par on the second playoff hole. … Fred Biondi of the University of Florida, who won the NCAA individual championship last week, is in the field.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: LIV Golf members Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz, David Puig make U.S. Open
