Are LIV Golf stars eligible for The Players | Golf News

The Players Championship returns to TPC Sawgrass on Thursday with one of the deepest fields in skilled golf. 47 of the world’s top 50 gamers will take part in the PGA Tour’s flagship event scheduled for March 12–15.

The PGA event stays one of the game’s most prestigious non-major championships, to the purpose that hardcore golf followers, analysts, and former commissioners call it the “fifth major” of the schedule. Part of that fame comes from the difficult credentials needed to even compete in the sphere, which embrace Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, and more.

When it comes to LIV Golf gamers, the reply to whether or not they can compete in the event is no. LIV gamers beforehand did not qualify for OWGR standing, don’t earn FedExCup factors on their tour, and are suspended from PGA Tour competitors.

The Players Championship is run instantly by the PGA Tour and still refers to LIV as an unauthorized group. Separate governing our bodies run the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and The Open, and each provides a number of pathways to exemptions.

LIV gamers can earn invites, qualify for tournaments, or obtain world rating exemptions, which means stars such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith can still seem in those occasions. Winners of PGA Tour co-sanctioned occasions since the earlier Players Championship robotically qualify, as do current champions of golf’s major tournaments from the earlier 5 seasons.

The event also grants entry to winners of outstanding PGA Tour stops, including the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Memorial Tournament, over the past three years.

Rory McIlroy received the event last season, the same yr he achieved a profession Grand Slam after successful the Masters. The Northern Ireland golf star continues to battle a nagging back injury that may see him miss this yr’s event, or at least miss essential apply time beforehand.

Players who are ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) will earn spots in the sphere for the Cognizant Classic. The top 10 golfers in the current FedExCup standings at that level in the season will also be included.

This season marks a pivotal second for the game as the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) introduces world-ranking factors for the top 10 finishers in LIV Golf League occasions.

Several extra exemptions spherical out the lineup, including the top participant from the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, the winner of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship, and the main participant from the 2025 DP World Tour Race to Dubai standings.