LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch says Rory McIlroy winning Masters, completing career grand slam would need asterisk

Talor Gooch is frustrated that he will be unable to follow up his T34 at last year’s Masters with a better performance this time around. Despite being ranked No. 40 in the Data Golf rankings, Gooch is No. 449 in the Official World Golf Rankings with no real path to get into the Masters due to his status as a member of LIV Golf and not being able to earn rankings points.

Gooch, who played in the last two Masters, sounded off to Golf Digest Australia about the OWGR situation in which he and other LIV players find themselves. The OWGR has rejected their application for points, which puts them in a difficult spot when it comes to the major championships, most of which include OWGR as a pathway into their championships. In expressing his frustration, Gooch singled out Rory McIlroy. 

“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his [career] grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk,” he told Golf Digest Australia. “It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”

Gooch is not one to tiptoe around golf issues. Two years ago, he said LIV Portland was “not a whole hell of a lot different” than playing a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup. He also took credit for some of the PGA Tour’s recent structural changes.

Interestingly, one of Gooch’s LIV colleagues was recently extended an invite to the Masters as Joaquin Niemann was invited last week after his win at LIV Mayakoba. Of course, his LIV success was not cited in the invitation. Instead, his play on the DP World Tour, including a win at the Australian Open in December, was noted. It is not unusual for Augusta National to invite international players who have not qualified through the PGA Tour or OWGR.

Gooch has played in 11 major championships throughout his career. He has never finished in the top 12 in any of them.

McIlroy will be going for the career grand slam for the 10th time in his career after winning the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship and 2014 Open Championship and PGA Championship. He has seven top 10s in his last 10 starts at Augusta National.