Talor Gooch Reveals Surprise at 2024 PGA Championship Invitation

Talor Gooch has been making headlines in the golf world for more than just his impressive performances on the course. His outspoken nature and criticism of the PGA Tour have led to him being labeled as an “enemy” of the golf establishment. Despite this, Gooch has received a special invitation to participate in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, a move that has left him surprised and grateful.

Gooch’s journey to this point has been marked by controversy. He was one of the founding members of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour in 2022, which has been at odds with the PGA Tour. His success on the LIV tour, including three wins in 2023 and finishing atop the season standings, has not been enough to earn him a spot in the majors through traditional means.

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) does not sanction LIV events, which has caused Talor Gooch’s ranking to plummet to 668th. This would have ruled him out of the majors without a special invitation or participating in qualifying tournaments, which he has no plans to do for The Open and the US Open this summer.

Talor Gooch: The Unlikely Invitee

Talor Gooch’s comments about the state of professional golf have not been taken lightly. Ahead of The Masters, he sparked controversy by suggesting that if Rory McIlroy were to win and complete his career grand slam, it would come with an “asterisk” due to the absence of some LIV players.

This statement was seen as a criticism of the traditional golf establishment and its handling of the LIV Golf tour. However, Talor Gooch has clarified that his comment was taken out of context, and he was actually highlighting the need for a change in the world ranking system to ensure that the best players are represented in the majors.

Talor Gooch’s infamous “asterisk” comment was taken out of context, according to him. “It was taken as me saying there’ll be an asterisk because I wasn’t going to be there,” he explained, “but what I was implying was if the [world ranking] system doesn’t change and it continues like this, it’ll get to a point where guys like Bryson [DeChambeau] and DJ [Dustin Johnson’s] exemptions will run out, and if you don’t have the best of the best there, then that changes what the majors truly are.”

Despite the controversy surrounding him, Talor Gooch has been invited to play in the PGA Championship, a move that he describes as “brave” on the part of the PGA of America. “I think I’ve somehow become one of the enemies of the golfing world, so it was very surprising,” Gooch said to The Times. “I had no reason to believe the PGA of America were going to send me an invite but I’m super grateful for it.”

This invitation is seen as a significant step towards accommodating LIV players in the majors, regardless of whether a merger deal with the PGA Tour is completed.

Talor Gooch’s participation in the PGA Championship will be his fifth appearance in the event. His best result was a T20 finish in 2022. While he has not won on the LIV tour in 2024, he has finished in two top 10s, including a second-place finish. His success on the LIV tour has been notable, with three wins and two other top 10s in the 2023 season, earning him the individual champion title.

Gooch’s invitation to the PGA Championship is not only a personal achievement but also a sign of a potential shift in the way LIV players are viewed by the traditional golf establishment. “They’re the first body to reward a player strictly for their performance on LIV,” Gooch said. “It’s brave of them and hopefully a step in the right direction for professional golf in its entirety.” This move could be seen as an olive branch extended to LIV players, acknowledging their performances and skills, even if they are not part of the traditional PGA Tour.

The PGA Championship featured 16 LIV players in the field, including Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk, and David Puig, all of whom received special invitations. Louis Oosthuizen also received an invite, but he declined due to personal commitments.

Gooch’s participation in the PGA Championship is being closely watched, not only for his performance on the course but also for the potential implications it may have for the future of professional golf. As the golf world continues to navigate the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, Gooch’s invitation serves as a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and competitive golf landscape.