Can LIV golfers play the US Open 2024? All you need to know

The US Open 2024 will also feature several LIV golf stars, similar to the first two Majors of this season. Thirteen players from the Saudi-backed circuit will be in action this week at the season's third Major.

A total of 156 players are set to compete at the US Open 2024, which will commence on Thursday, June 13. The season's third Major will be played at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. This is the first time since 2014 and the fourth time overall that the US Open Championship is returning to Pinehurst.

The Pinehurst playing field will feature 13 LIV Golf professionals, the same number as Augusta National and four more than the PGA Championship. All the players who made it to the US Open 2024 have qualified under certain criteria, and LIV golfers are no different. While some made it via certain exemptions, a few of them qualified through the qualifying rounds.

Here are a few qualification criteria for the LIV golfers to play in the US Open 2024:

Won the championship in the past 10 years
The Masters Champion in the last five seasons/editions
The PGA Championship in the last five seasons/editions
The Open Champion in the last five seasons/editions
Won the Players Championship in the last three seasons or editions
Top 60 in OWGR
Finished in the low 10 in the recent US Open Championship
Qualified for the season-ending 2023 Tour Championship
The top two players from the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings who didn't receive exemption otherwise

Which LIV golfers are competing at the US Open 2024?

Five of the 13 selected LIV golfers have made it onto the field as former champions since 2014. Martin Kaymer (2014), Dustin Johnson (2016), Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), and Jon Rahm (2021) are past champions.

However, DeChambeau, Rahm and Koepka also qualified through other means, such as being among the top 60-ranked players and winners of other majors in recent years. Cameron Smith also made it to Pinehurst via several criteria. He won the 2022 Open Championship as well as the Players Championship and finished T4 at last year's edition.

Adrian Meronk got into the field by being the top player in the 2023 Race to Dubai rankings, excluding those who had already qualified. Tyrrell Hatton qualified for the Tour Championship last year. Besides, he is among the top 60-ranked players in the world, making him eligible for the season's third Major.

Phil Mickelson is making his 33rd appearance at the US Open via the 2021 PGA Championship winner's exemption. He has five runner-up finishes here, as it remains the only Major he has yet to win.

The other names who made it to the US Open 2024 include David Puig, Dean Burmester, Eugenio Chacarra, and Sergio Garcia, all of whom sealed their berths via US Open qualifying. Garcia had finished as the first alternate in qualifying and got in when a place became available.