At Glance
‣ Talor Gooch and David Puig, both LIV golfers, have received special invitations to participate in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, joining Joaquin Niemann who had previously announced his invitation.
‣ Despite their low world rankings due to LIV Golf’s inability to offer ranking points, both Gooch and Puig have demonstrated exceptional form in their respective circuits, with Gooch winning the 2023 Individual Championship and Puig excelling on the Asian Tour.
‣ This PGA Championship appearance marks a significant milestone for both players; it will be Gooch’s second time at the tournament and Puig’s PGA Championship debut, highlighting their achievements despite the challenges posed by their association with LIV Golf.
Looking forward to Valhalla next week!
Thank you for the invitation @PGA 🙏🏼 See y'all there.— Talor Gooch (@TalorGooch)
So, Joaquin Niemann dropped a bit of a bombshell the other day. He got this special invite to the PGA Championship, right? Well, turns out, he’s not the only one. Talor Gooch and David Puig are also on the guest list, courtesy of the PGA of America. It’s not the usual way to get in, but hey, the top 100 usually make the cut for these big tournaments.
Now, here’s the kicker. LIV Golf, where Gooch and Puig play, doesn’t hand out world ranking points. So, despite their skills, they weren’t automatically qualified. But, you know, both have been showing some serious game lately.
Gooch, for instance, is way down at 644th in the world rankings. But don’t let that fool you. The guy’s been lighting it up on the LIV Golf scene for over a year. Won the 2023 Individual Championship and all. Plus, he’s been killing it this season too, sitting pretty at eighth in the standings. Not too shabby, right?
He even took to social media to share the news. “Looking forward to Valhalla next week! Thank you for the invitation @PGA. See y’all there.” He’s pumped, and who can blame him?
Oh, and about that US Open? Gooch said, “Nah, I’m good.” This PGA Championship will be his second dance at this particular ball, after a T20 finish last year.
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Now, onto Puig. He’s been having a bit of a rough time in LIV Golf this season, hanging out at 43rd in the standings. But, plot twist, he’s been tearing it up on the Asian Tour. Four appearances in 2024, one win, and a bunch of top 10 finishes. Not too shabby, eh?
Despite his success, he’s still just shy of the world’s top 100. Started at 2,819th when he joined LIV Golf in 2022, and now he’s climbing up, against all odds. This PGA Championship will be his debut, and only his second major, after a T39 at last year’s US Open.
So, there you have it. A couple of underdogs, a special invite, and a chance to shake things up at Valhalla. Should be interesting, don’t you think?
