6 LIV Golf stars have bonus prizes on their mind at Spanish Open
Kudos and a heap of prize money are not the only incentives at the Spanish Open on the DP World Tour this week; LIV Golf members also have a race chance to qualify for major championships
A host of LIV Golf stars are in action at the Spanish Open this week, and six of them have major championship exemptions to play for.
Seven members of the breakaway league will tee it up at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on Thursday, and the winner of the event will take home not only more than $500,000 in prize money but also invitations to The Masters and The Open Championship.
This week's event is among a selection of national opens that have been given special recognition by Augusta National and The R&A, with invitations to the 2026 editions of The Masters and The Open up for grabs. That is a huge incentive for LIV members in particular due to the league's so-far-unsuccessful effort to secure world ranking points.
Jon Rahm, a three-time winner of the Spanish Open and the headline name in the field at Madrid, can rest easy knowing he has already punched his tickets to Augusta National and Royal Birkdale next year by virtue of his Masters win in 2023.
But for the other six LIV players in the field, as well as the DP World Tour grinders teeing it up, the prospect of earning major invitations is a huge carrot.
Joaquin Niemann has won more LIV tournaments than anyone since the league launched in 2022, but he is not qualified for either The Masters or The Open. He has received a special invitation from Augusta National for the past two years, largely due to his commitment to playing – and succeeding – as a globe-trotting player on numerous tours.
Rising star Tom McKibbin played in his native Northern Ireland when The Open was held at Royal Portrush in July, but he has never played in The Masters. A victory this week would secure his place in both events in 2026.
Young Spanish talents David Puig and Josele Ballester have enormous potential, and it would be no surprise to see them lift the title this week and receive their invitations to Augusta and Birkdale.
Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed, meanwhile, never have to worry about Masters invitations. By winning their Green Jackets in 2017 and 2018 respectively, they have lifetime invites to play in the tournament.
But neither man is exempt for The Open as it stands, meaning they have plenty to play for this week.
Reed, to his credit, has played regularly on the DP World Tour this season, and this will be his 12th start on the European circuit in 2025. He is 16th in the Race To Dubai with just a handful of events remaining; the top 25 finishers in the Race To Dubai receive an invitation to The Open.
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley explained in August why The Masters and The Open chose to award invitations to the winners of the Scottish, Spanish, Japanese, Hong Kong, Austalian, and South African national open winners.
"The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees," he said.
"We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together. Today's announcement strengthens our organisations' collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships.
"We hope this formal recognition shines a bright light on these players and the events they will represent at The Masters and The Open, beginning next year."