LIV champion's comments speak volumes about golf's messy situation as US Open looms

Carlos Ortiz, fresh from his triumph at the LIV Golf event in Houston, has admitted that failing to qualify for the US Open has been a bitter pill to swallow.

The 33-year-old, who clinched the LIV tournament title with an impressive final round of five-under and an overall score of 15-under, revealed his disappointment at not progressing past the final US Open qualifying last month.

"I've been playing great," he conceded. "It's a shame I doubled the last hole to miss the qualifier. It hurt a lot. But I think with time, we're going to get back into the majors because I know that I'm one of the best players in the world right now, and I deserve to be there. But the way things are happening right now, it's kind of hard.

"I'll do my best to get into the British Open, and I also have the summer Olympics, too, other than the LIV tournaments coming up."

Since his switch to LIV Golf, Ortiz has struggled to earn Official World Golf Rankings points, causing him to slip to No. 232 in the rankings.

His move to the controversial Saudi-backed series has also led to him missing out on this year's Masters and PGA Championship, and a poor performance during "golf's longest day" meant he also missed out on this week's major.

Ortiz, who's been tearing up golf courses in recent times with six straight top-25 finishes, including a win and a top-five at LIV Golf Hong Kong in March, could be on the brink of a breakthrough for LIV Golf players looking to enter the US Open.

John Bodenhamer, the USGA's chief championship officer, hinted at a dedicated entry route for LIV Golf's stars to the prestigious US Open. "We've watched what is happening in professional golf unfold and we've seen a lot of good players go over to LIV and so we're thinking a lot about it, we've talked a lot about it," he said earlier this month.

He further stated: "I think it's reasonable to expect that at some point, yes, we would create a pathway or someway that we would get those great players, give them an opportunity to be unified again."

Mike Whan, CEO of the United States Golf Association, shared similar thoughts back in May: "If LIV stays as a separate entity and keeps the quality of players that it's got, can I envision a pathway to the U.S. Open through LIV? I can, but I'd like to see what the final product is, and we're just not exactly sure we know that yet."

This year, LIV Golf will be sending a squad of twelve to Pinehurst, including former US Open champions Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, and possibly Jon Rahm if he's fit in time. Tyrrell Hatton, David Puig, Adrian Meronk, Cam Smith, Dean Burmester, and Eugenio Chacarra are also set to represent the rising league.