Talor Gooch has been criticised for arguing there will be an ‘asterisk’ next to Rory McIlroy’s career grand slam if he wins the Masters.
LIV Golf star Gooch will not compete at Augusta in April after failing to meet the qualification criteria or receive an invitation.
The Saudi-backed breakaway tour does not get Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points and players who are not already exempt need to rank inside the world’s top 50 to qualify for the Masters.
While big-name defectors like Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau earned exemptions from recent major wins, LIV Golf’s lack of OWGR points essentially blocks players like Gooch from competing in golf’s four biggest events.
Despite winning three LIV Golf events in 2023, the American has tumbled to 449th in the world and recently sounded off on the major qualification system.
Gooch said: “If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his [career] grand slam without some of the best players in the world [competing], there’s just going to be an asterisk.
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“It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”
However, many have argued that LIV Golf rebels are simply suffering the consequences of their own decision.
The breakaway series has never met the criteria for OWGR points, mostly due to its lack of meritocracy, which made this whole situation rather inevitable for players like Gooch.
PGA Tour stars such as Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau rejected lucrative offers from LIV Golf for this very reason.
Reacting to Gooch’s bizarre theory about McIlroy and the Masters, Rangers legend Ally McCoist was left completely dumbfounded.
“I’ve never heard so much nonsense in my life.” he said. “Who is Talor Gooch anyway?
“Talor Gooch? Reel yourself in son. If Rory wins it, fantastic, good for him.”
News Summary:
- ‘Who is Talor Gooch anyway?’ – LIV Golf star mocked over bizarre Rory McIlroy theory
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