LIV Golf's Talor Gooch Gets PGA Championship Invitation, So He Better Perform

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Plenty of the golfers on the LIV Golf tour complain about being excluded from major championships. But no one whines more than Talor Gooch. He got his wish this week, as the PGA Championship extended him a special invitation to participate, along with fellow LIV Golf player David Puig.

Before bolting to LIV Golf for a huge payday, Gooch competed in over 130 PGA Tour events. He won one time and had 11 Top 10 finishes. He earned invitations to all four majors in 2022 and three of the four last year. 

However, he didn't receive an invitation for last year's U.S. Open (nor this year's, and he's apparently too good to participate in a qualifying event) and he didn't receive an invitation to the 2024 Masters (despite playing in both the 2022 and 2023 tournaments). 

Following his exclusion from The Masters, Gooch claimed that whoever won the tournament would have an asterisk next to his name because winning a golf tournament that Talor Gooch didn't participate in isn't a real win at all. OK, Talor. 

Talor Gooch, a member of LIV Golf, constantly complains about not getting invitations to majors, so the PGA Championship extended him an invite.

Talor Gooch, a member of LIV Golf, constantly complains about not getting invitations to majors, so the PGA Championship extended him an invite.

(Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports)

LIV Golf's Talor Gooch whined his way into a PGA Championship invitation, so now he needs to put up or shut up. 

Look, this is not to disparage Gooch. Well, it's not JUST to disparage Gooch. He's a good player. Not an elite player, but a good player. He had a Top 15 finish at the 2022 Masters. That's his best finish in any of his 11 starts in the majors. 

Again, finishing in the Top 15 at The Masters is a great accomplishment. It's not an "asterisk next to the champion's name if I'm not there" accomplishment, but it's very good. 

Gooch is playing well on the LIV Golf tour, winning last year's individual championship thanks to three tournament victories in 13 starts. I'll forgive you if you didn't know that, because no one really cares that much about LIV Golf. Not the actual tournaments, at least. 

As it stands, LIV Golf tournaments don't award Official World Golf Rankings points, and they certainly don't award FedEx Cup points. That's how most players qualify for major tournaments. 

Talor Gooch presents the individual championship trophy during the final round of the LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral.

Talor Gooch presents the individual championship trophy during the final round of the LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral.

(Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)

Since Gooch decided he cared more about getting paid than playing in major tournaments, he doesn't have a huge right to whine. But that doesn't stop him from doing it. And that's not to begrudge him for taking the money. Many people would have made the same decision. 

But he wants to "have his cake and eat it too," as folks might say. Well, next week at Valhalla, Gooch gets to have his cake AND eat it. But, here's the thing. He had better play well. 

If he's going to go around talking about how he belongs in every major tournament and how his absence means the tournament winner gets an asterisk, then he had better perform. 

I'm all about people talking some trash. Golf needs that. But you have to back it up if you're going to talk it. Gooch has talked it. Next week he gets a chance to back it up. You're on the tee, Gooch. Don't screw it up. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.