In an anticipated move, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews formally announced Tuesday that LIV golfers will be eligible for this year's British Open at Royal Liverpool.

Golfers competing on the Saudi-backed tour won't gain eligibility through their LIV Golf competition results, which don't count toward Official World Golf Rankings. But LIV golfers who earn exemptions from standard qualifying will be eligible to play.

This includes past British Open champions Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen, all of whom defected from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf. Other major winners competing with LIV Golf, including Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, will be eligible via the R&A's exemptions announced Tuesday.

The decision reflects those of the Masters and the U.S. Open, which also announced exemptions for LIV golfers for 2023 championships. R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers has repeatedly alluded to Tuesday's decision and made clear what was coming in an October interview with Golf Digest.