In the build-up to the PGA Championship, plenty of the world’s biggest names will be addressing the media.
Among them are defending champion Justin Thomas, World No.1 Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, who, as well as winning the Major twice, is a member of Oak Hill Country Club, where the action will take place. However, despite LIV Golf being represented by plenty of its players at the event, only two have been granted a pre-tournament interview.
Dustin Johnson, who captains 4 Aces GC on the circuit, will speak to the media the day before the tournament begins. The 38-year-old is appearing on the back of his first victory of the LIV Golf League season, which he achieved in Tulsa after beating Cameron Smith and Branden Grace in a playoff.
Considering the former World No.1 is heading into the tournament in such good form, it makes sense that he is being afforded interview time before he goes in search of his third Major victory.
Two-time PGA Champion Brooks Koepka will also address the media on Wednesday, after being a late addition to the interview schedule.
It is perhaps surprising that the duo are the only LIV Golf players granted time with the media considering the number of its players teeing it up in the tournament, which stood at 18 before former winner Martin Kaymer withdrew because of injury. There are some other high-profile players among them, too, with Open champion and World No.8 Cameron Smith appearing, along 2005 and 2021 champion Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson performed admirably in the first Major of the year, The Masters, where he finished second, along with fellow LIV player Koepka, only to Rahm at Augusta National. The decision to exclude all but two LIV Golf players from the official pre-tournament press conferences has echoes of that event, when only Smith appeared before the media during the build-up.
LIV Golf has been a source of controversy since its inception, and there had been some doubt as to whether its players would be eligible for the tournament. That changed in February when the PGA of America confirmed that LIV Golf players would be able to compete in the event.
