LIV Golfers Have Rough Go At It During Monday U.S. Open Qualifiers

The longest day in golf was not too kind to LIV Golf players looking to earn a spot into the field of next week's U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

A total of 17 players on the Saudi-backed circuit teed it up on Monday in one of the 10 U.S. Open qualifying sites in North America, and only three walked away with invitations to play in the year's third major championship.

LIV's Eugenio Chacarra was the first to earn his spot in next week's field before David Puig and Dean Burmester followed in his footsteps by successfully qualifying over the course of 36 holes.

Puig made things look way too easy in his qualifier at Lake Merced in California by carding a score of 12-under par including a bogey-free second round. The 22-year-old has now made it through Monday qualifying two years in a row after earning a spot at Hillcrest Country Club in 2023.

Burmester didn't make things as easy on himself by playing in the loaded qualifier at The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida, but posted an impressive six-under to grab one of the five spots awarded down in South Florida.

. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the world of golf on Monday was Joaquin Niemann not getting through qualifying. Niemann has already won two LIV events in 2024 and leads the circuit in total points. Next week will mark the first time in five years that Niemann will not be in the field at the U.S. Open.

LIV players Matt Jones, Peter Uihlein, Branden Grace, and Charl Schwartzel all attempted to qualify but withdrew from their respective qualifiers before posting a score.

A total of 12 LIV players will compete at Pinehurst, with the group headlined by the likes of Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, and Dustin Johnson.

Sixteen LIV players teed it up in the PGA Championship last month while 13 played in this year's Masters.