Marc Leishman

Marc Leishman hasn’t had this moment for three years. The Australian left the old course in St Andrews after missing out on layoffs in the 2022 Open Championship last time he played a major championship golf.

His decision to sign with LIV Golf means he has the potential to enter the biggest stage of golf. He knew that joining a runaway league with huge signing bonuses would have consequences that he had to compete with. The six-time PGA Tour winner lost to Zach Johnson in the playoffs, and he had to weigh the opportunities in front of him in financial and family terms – saying goodbye to his possibility of big-time champion golf, and he will never be able to get a “open” grand slam.

Leishman missed all majors in 2023 and 2024. He has not had a special invitation to compete in the Masters or PGA title this season, but he survived the final qualifying match, punched the U.S. Open and returned to the big champion golf.

Despite nearly three years of great sabbaticals, Leshman does not regret his decision to jump into the upstart league. In fact, he is probably the happiest player on Liv Golf.

“You know nothing,” Leshman said Saturday when asked if he was worried that he would never return to professionalism. “Life is uncertain at times. Obviously, I want to be here. This is the biggest test of golf. I know that when I sign with Liv, it will be a chance. I know that that could have been negative. But these positives outweigh the negatives for me.

“Of course, you want to know if you’re going into them again, but of course you won’t regret it because like I said, my life is as good as it is now. I’m happy and ever. Sure, I’d rather play professionally, but I really like sitting down with the kids and watching the masters and PGAs.”

Leishman’s main championship return rate saw him advance at Oakmont, who finished the T18 at the 2016 U.S. Open and scored 2 68 in the third round to hit the top 20. He is a 41-year-old Australian, and he was a 2009 PGA Tour rookie, who won his first year at Liv Miami. He also won the T3 record at the Australian Open and entered the 2025 Royal Championship.

Leishman claims to have discovered professional and personal happiness after moving to Liv Golf, and he believes that the mix of Liv’s talent and lighter schedules make him a better golfer. (For context: Per Datagolf, Leishman scored 0.41 this year at Liv Golf. Ranked 16th in Liv in 2019, his best season on the PGA Tour, where he finished 1.19 per round, ranked 24th and 24th.)

“It feels great,” Leshman said while competing in Oakmont. “It doesn’t hurt to compete in the Majors game. But, like I said, I’ve been playing really well. We’re playing on LIV every week against really strong areas and I think that doing things make me work harder in golf games, not only in my body but in my body and head, and like me, it’s my life and it’s also a pleasure.

“I probably have been playing the best golf of my career this year,” Leishman added. “I think the schedule can play between games and I can prepare for this game.”

Leishman, who will go out in Oakmont on Sunday, hopes to finish the top four in the top four and win the next Grand Slam with a shotgun, is a member of the Ripper GC.

As Oakmont bounces around Oakmont this week, it’s a reminder that the talent who lost a golf fracture is deeper than Jon Rahms and Bryson DeChambeaus. Leishman is a multiple-time PGA Tour champion, finishing three top 10 in the Masters and Open Championships. He used to be the 12th player in the world.

Now, he plays 14 times a year under the Ripper GC banner and does not compete in the big tournament until this week. All the processes in the professional golf world are filled with trash that “can” and “assumed”, frustration and regret.

Marc Leishman doesn’t have that, whether he shoots 66 or 80 on Sunday in Oakmont, that will be preserved. He made a choice and was satisfied with his decision. In life and golf, things just move forward.

“Like I said, my game feels good. My head is in a good position. Life is so wonderful right now.”