The Curious Case Of The LIV Golfer Who Isn’t

The Curious Case of the LIV Golfer Who Isn’t

This past weekend, LIV golf participant Adrain Otaegui won the DP World Tour (European Tour) Andalucia Masters.

But is he really a LIV player? Otaegui played in LIV’s London, Portland And Boston events. However, he did not play in LIV events in Chicago, Bedminster, Bangkok or Saudi Arabia. Oraegui also is reportedly not in the field for the Miami finale.

The Andalucia Masters played opposite the LIV Saudi Arabia event.

Otaegui is playing DP World Tour thanks to an arbiter who stayed LIV golf suspensions until a hearing in the UK in February.

Since June, Otaegui has played in nine DP World Tour Events. As such, he is one of the few gaining Official World Golf Ranking Points.

And yet, he is missing from LIV.

Given that Otaegui has won on the DP World Tour, will LIV kick another player out of their Miami event so that he can play? From a PR standpoint that makes sense. Otaegui’s presence would allow LIV to brag about their level of competitiveness.

But what are the rules about who gets to play and who doesn’t? That is obtuse in a way that the PGA TOUR is not. The PGA TOUR and the Majors have very detailed list of qualifiers. Aside from a couple of sponsors’ exemptions in each event, the field is predictable and defined.

Otaegui isn’t the only LIV golfer who isn’t. There are quite a few who teed it up with LIV earlier in the season who now are inexplicably missing. The list includes Andy Ogletree, Oliver Bekker, Pablo Larrazabal and Hennie du Plessis.

In all, there are 69 players listed on the LIV site as members, but only 48 slots in any given tournament. The story is that Captains picked their teams and those account for the 48 active participants.

Was it like a schoolyard game of kickball where if you didn’t get picked to play on a team, you sit in the grass and watch? I doubt it. My guess is that LIV is basing its playing roster on name recognition. If I was running LIV, the Captains would have been told whom to pick based on their Q scores.

I’d really like to know why a rising and talented player like Otaegui has found himself on the outside of LIV after he put his career on the line to play their events.

Will Otaegui suddenly find himself in the Miami field? We shall see.