[PHOTO: Getty Images]

Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert are eyeing a trio of spots in the 2025 Open Championship field that are up for grabs in Melbourne as a bonus to their bid to win an Australian Open title.

In fact, Herbert, who joined LIV Golf this year and helped deliver Cam Smith’s Ripper GC a season-long teams title, believes more golfers from his new league will look at Australia as a springboard into the majors.

LIV Golf does not receive Official World Golf Ranking points, with Herbert and Leishman among the players whose rankings have slipped well outside the top 50 and 60 who get invited to the majors.

Herbert and Leishman are not currently in any of the four ‘big dances’ for 2025. But they can take care of one of those starts – the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland – this week given the Australian Open is part of the R&A’s Open Qualifying Series. Each year, the top three finishers on the Australian Open leaderboard (not already exempt) receive spots in the next year’s links major.

“Major exemptions are really important,” Herbert said today at Kingston Heath in Melbourne, ahead of the mixed Australian Open starting Thursday. “Obviously, the three Open Championship spots this week, it’s a big focus of ours and I think you probably see a few more guys from LIV coming out to play these events, or play the Aussie Open anyway, in years to come with those on the table.”

A priority for Herbert and Leishman is to win the Australian Open but they do have The Open in the back of their minds. “Yeah, I think those three Open spots are huge,” Leishman said. “It’s definitely a big draw card for this event. We all want to be playing the majors but certainly it’s extra motivation to play well this week if we need any.”

Leishman did not play any of the majors this year while Herbert’s lone start came at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he was T-43.