LIV Golf star sneaks into US Open With dramatic | Golf News

LIV Golf participant Caleb Surratt has secured his spot in the US Open by the narrowest of margins, claiming the ultimate qualifying place at Monday’s Dallas regional qualifier following a playoff against 5 other contenders.

Surratt carded three under par at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas and navigated a nerve-wracking playoff to seize the ninth and last qualifying berth out there at this US Open qualifier. The 22-year-old, who had been focusing on a breakthrough marketing campaign in 2026, will now take part in his maiden major championship.

The American joined LIV Golf in 2024, changing into a member of Legion XIII under captain Jon Rahm. He will tee it up at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, offering a much-needed carry following a spell of uncertainty within LIV Golf. It comes as PGA Championship followers slam CBS for ‘unwatchable’ commercial-filled coverage.

The circuit was shaken by stories that the Saudi Arabian PIF plans to withdraw funding after this season, triggering conjecture that the league may stop operations. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has refuted those assertions, though the league’s future stays unsure.

While this might current a difficult impediment for quite a few seasoned professionals, Surratt is among a youthful cohort of abilities caught in uncertainty. Currently, Surratt stays optimistic about LIV Golf’s continuation and maintains confidence based on the quantity of gamers dedicated to contracts

“The reassurance is you have 60 players in the league or so, and I think every single one of them is 100 percent fully invested in making it a better place to play,” Surratt said to Golf Digest. “I think it’s out of my control, but I know that Scott O’Neil is probably the No. 1 guy that we all want in charge in … for a successful future.”

“So there’s no doubt in my mind everything’s going to work out, but in the end, I’m not really in control, and my job is just to work hard, get better, and try to play well.” Surratt has also drawn encouragement from Bryson DeChambeau, one of LIV Golf’s marquee stars.

DeChambeau responded to the uncertainty by expressing confidence that a decision will probably be reached, as his LIV Golf contract presently awaits renewal. DeChambeau’s representatives reportedly held negotiations with LIV Golf executives, and he has also advocated on behalf of youthful gamers, Surratt among them.

“As of right now, my job is to help make the league work after this year,” DeChambeau told Flushing It. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make it work, and I really see the value in franchise golf.

“And, you understand, another motive why I’m doing this shouldn’t be just for myself and the staff side that I actually imagine in on the Crushers facet. It’s for Michael La Sasso. It’s for Caleb Surratt. It’s for Josele Ballester. It’s for David Puig.” Surratt was honored by the recognition and holds DeChambeau in extraordinarily high regard as both a person and a role model. “Bryson, he is a great man to have around,” he added.

“He is actually an wonderful participant, and I do know for a fact that I feel what he said is true. He goes to combat for what’s proper.”

Surratt held the No. 2 rating in the nation in 2021 and grew to become half of the Tennessee Volunteers males’s golf staff at the University of Tennessee in 2022. He earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2023 and contributed to the U.S. Walker Cup triumph over Great Britain and Ireland.