USGA: Players competing in LIV Golf can still play U.S. Open

Players who have chosen to participate in the LIV Golf event in London this week can still play in next week's U.S. Open, the USGA announced Tuesday.

"Should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 U.S. Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of a decision to play in another event?" the USGA wrote in a statement. "And we ultimately decided that they should not."

The first of eight tournaments in the LIV Golf series, which is financed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, is set to begin Thursday at 9:00 a.m. ET.

The U.S. Open is set for June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Although it's on the PGA TOUR schedule, the U.S. Open is conducted by the USGA, not the TOUR.

"Our decision regarding our field for the 2022 U.S. Open should not be construed as the USGA supporting an alternative organizing entity, nor supportive of any individual player actions or comments," the USGA added.

Phil Mickelson, who announced Monday that he'd joined LIV Golf, only needs to win the U.S. Open to complete the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors.

Mickelson's statement marked the first time he'd spoken publicly or on social media since late February, when he announced he was stepping away from golf after backlash to his comments about the potential Saudi league.

Other golfers who qualified for the U.S. Open and will also play in the first LIV Golf event include Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, and Sergio Garcia.

James Piot, who is exempt into the 2022 U.S. Open as a result of winning the 2021 U.S. Amateur, is in the LIV field as well.