Cameron Smith is a major winner having triumphed at The Open in 2022 (Image: Getty)
Cameron Smith has blasted the organisers of golf’s major championships for not offering players direct qualification sooner.
The became the first of the four majors to , with following suit a week later.
It means the highest-ranked golfer in the LIV league, who isn’t already exempt, will gain a spot in the US Open and The Open line-ups for the 2025 editions at Oakmont and Royal Portrush respectively.
But according to Smith, who joined LIV in 2022, that move ought to have been implemented sooner.
Speaking to Australian outlet , the 31-year-old said: “I think it would have been nice to have that as soon as we moved over here but obviously things take time.
“I think it definitely needed to happen. I feel like there are some guys out here who have missed out on spots in majors over the past couple years that deserved them so it’s good to see that they are acknowledging us.
“It’s hard to win out here and it’s hard to compete and I think we have the strongest fields in golf week in and week out. I think it will be the best thing for the game.”
Smith won The Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews in 2022, finishing one shot ahead of namesake Cameron Young.
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Cameron Smith lifted the Claret Jug in 2022 (Image: Getty)
Smith’s words will no doubt split opinions throughout the world of golf, given the tensions that still exist between LIV and the PGA Tour.
Explaining the move, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon stated: “The Open is a global championship for the best men’s golfers and each year we review our exemptions to ensure that we offer pathways into the championship based on results achieved on the leading professional tours.
“We acknowledge that players competing in LIV Golf should also have the opportunity to secure places in The Open through its individual season standings as well as existing pathways.”
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Whereas LIV chairman Scott O’Neil added: “The acknowledgement that competitors from the LIV Golf League and the International Series will have the opportunity to play in golf’s original major is a true testament to the strength of fields and the R&A’s commitment to golf fans around the world.”
The first of the year’s majors, The Masters, hasn’t opted into the LIV exemptions yet.
Players will descend on Augusta National to battle it out for the green jacket in the first week of April.