The Asian Tour’s International Series event in Macau, China this week isn’t part of the official LIV Golf League schedule, offering only $US2 million ($A3.2 million) in prize money compared to LIV’s standard $US20 million purses. Still, nearly two dozen members of the lucrative circuit are competing at Macau Golf and Country Club, in no small part due to the fact offers something LIV golf events don’t: a direct qualification into one of the year’s four men’s majors.
The Macau tournament is part of the R&A’s Open Qualifying Series, giving out exemptions into this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush to the top three finishers who haven’t already qualified. Seventeen LIV golfers competing have yet to earn a spot in the Open, including Australia’s Lucas Herbert, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Adrian Meronk, David Puig, Abraham Ancer and Sebastian Munoz.
“I feel like any time you have an opportunity to qualify for a major it just gives you extra motivation to go out and have a little bit more drive to go out and try make those putts and play your best game,” said Reed in a pre-tournament press conference. “Because at the end of the day, they’re the four events that we’re trying to always play.”
That motivation appears to be working, as Reed took the Day 1 lead in the tournament with an opening-round 63, then backed it up with a second-round 64 to carry a one-stroke advantage over Carlos Ortiz heading into the weekend. Also in the top 10 after 36 holes are Herbert (three back in a tie for third), Garcia (four back, T-5), and Munoz and Jason Kokrak (five back, T-8), all looking to play their way into an exemption to Portrush.
A year ago, Reed played in the Masters (thanks to a lifetime exemption for his 2018 win) and PGA Championship but then missed the US Open and Open Championship, ending a streak of 41 straight major starts. So far in 2025, he is only qualified for the Masters. “It will mean a lot to get back on that run,” said Reed, who finished fourth in this event a year ago and won an international series tournament last November.
Reed has been vocal in calling for the organisations that run the majors to give LIV golfers exemptions based off their play in the nascent league. The USGA and R&A recently both created qualifying criteria that would open a spot to a LIV golfer off the league’s points list. Reed would like to see more, but in the meantime knows he’ll need to play his way into the events.
Sergio Garcia. Picture: Thananuwat Srirasant
Same for Garcia, a recent winner at the LIV Golf Hong Kong stop, who had played in 22 straight Opens (with 10 top-10 finishes) until missing the event in 2023 and 2024. “This is an important week,” Garcia said, noting that the Open was his favourite major. “Obviously we all love to play in the majors and be a part of them and give ourselves a shot at it. So to have the opportunity of qualifying here with these three top spots it’s huge.”
