U.S. Open now welcomes Mickelson, Johnson and others playing in Saudi-funded league

Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are welcome to play the U.S. Open next week under a USGA decision announced Tuesday that puts the open nature of the championship over a player's decision to play in a Saudi-funded rival league.

Mickelson and Johnson are among a dozen players in the LIV Golf Invitational this week who are exempt for the U.S. Open on June 16-19 at The Country Club outside Boston. Both have said they plan to play the third major of the year.

Among other U.S. Open players who signed up for the new league are Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Kevin Na.

"Regarding players who may choose to play in London this week, we simply asked ourselves this question — should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 U.S. Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of his decision to play in another event? And we ultimately decided that they should not," the USGA said.

Mickelson plans to hop from London to the U.S. Open in his return to competitive golf on American soil.

"I think that the biggest reason is when I would think about LIV Golf I found myself excited and energized to play and work hard and compete again," Mickelson told Sports Illustrated. "I think after doing this for 30 years, I'm excited about something new and this different format. And at this point in my life, just as importantly, it gives some balance in my life for [wife] Amy and I."

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, said on Tuesday he has decided to withdraw from the U.S. Open outside Boston, citing a need for more time to get his body ready for major championship golf but still plans to play the British Open at St. Andrews in July.

That the U.S. Open chose not to deny entry was not surprising. The second-oldest championship in golf takes pride in the open nature of its 156-man field. None of the other four majors has criteria in place that forces roughly 50 per cent of the field to go through 36-hole qualifying.

Johnson, Oosthuizen resign Tour memberships

Criticism of the new league headed by Greg Norman starts with the primary source of funding, the sovereign wealth fund in Saudi Arabia, a country with an abysmal record on human rights, most notably the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Johnson and Oosthuizen are among those who have resigned their PGA Tour memberships. Mickelson could face discipline from the tour because it did not authorize releases to play the LIV Golf Invitational. Releases are required under PGA Tour regulations.

If players are suspended by the PGA Tour, it does not affect their standing in the U.S. Open, which is run exclusively by the USGA. Whan said that doesn't change the relationship it has with the largest tour in the world.

Mickelson said he won't resign his membership because he worked hard to gain lifetime status with 20 wins and 15 years on Tour.

"I've had many conversations with the organizations that run the majors," Mickelson said. "And I do want to keep those conversations private."

Mickelson said he had the opportunity to play in the PGA Championship and the Masters, but "really needed some time away" before returning to competitive golf.

Conversations with peers have been positive since he chose to jump to the LIV, Mickelson said, but he hasn't spoken with officials at the PGA Tour or Tiger Woods.

During his break from golf, sparked in part by backlash over his comments about the Saudi-supported LIV, Mickelson was the subject of an unauthorized autobiography that detailed significant financial losses gambling. The Alan Shipnuck book claimed Mickelson's gambling losses exceeded $40 million.

"My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it," Mickelson told SI. "And I've been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I'm at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time."

Woods hopeful of playing at British Open

Woods returned to competition at the Masters in April, 14 months after nearly losing his right leg in a car crash, then played in last month's PGA Championship where he withdrew in pain after posting a nine-over-par 79 in the third round.

Despite opting to sit out the U.S. Open, an event he has won three times, Woods said he still plans to play in the JP McManus Pro-Am, a two-day event in Ireland, before hopefully competing in the July 14-17 British Open the following week.

"I previously informed the USGA that I will not be competing in the @usopengolf as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf," Woods, 46, wrote on Twitter.

"I do hope and plan to be ready to play in Ireland at @JPProAm and at @TheOpen next month. I'm excited to get back out there soon!"

The 15-times major champion had been non-committal about playing in June 16-19 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Woods made an encouraging start in his return to competition as he shot a one-under-par 71 in the first round of the Masters but went on to finish 13 over for the week and in 47th place as the demanding course took a toll on his body.

Woods next teed it up at the PGA Championship and despite his pre-tournament talk of having more strength and endurance since the Masters, he appeared to be in significant discomfort as he winced after many shots and battled to walk up hills.

Players put aside 'reprehensible' Saudi moves

Graeme McDowell accepts it is "incredibly polarizing" to join the Saudi-funded rebel golf tour. He even offered a reason why.

"Take the Khashoggi situation," he said. "We all agree that's reprehensible. Nobody is going to argue that fact."

The Northern Irish golfer was referencing the 2018 murder of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence services said they believe the killing of the U.S.-based Saudi journalist came at the orders of the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who heads the Public Investment Fund. The prince denies wrongdoing.

The Saudi sovereign wealth fund is providing the hundreds of millions of dollars in sign-on fees and prize money that is enticing players away from the established tours and jeopardizing their participation in the majors and Ryder Cup.

The tour is the latest branch of Saudi Arabia's attempt to reposition itself as a backer of lavish sports events rather than one associated with human rights abuses, which rights groups call 'sportswashing.'

McDowell is trying to avoid discussing the specifics of the country he is effectively working for.

"I really feel like golf is a force of good in the world — I just try to be a great role model to kids," he said. "We are not politicians. I know you guys hate that expression, but we are really not, unfortunately. We are professional golfers.

"If Saudi Arabia wanted to use the game of golf as a way for them to get to where they want to be and they have the resources to accelerate that experience, I think we are proud to help them on that journey using the game of golf and the abilities that we have to help grow the sport and take them to where they want to be."