ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — “Everything Has Led to This.’’

That’s the marketing slogan this week for the 150th British Open at St. Andrews.

That said, imagine this awkward scene playing out early Sunday evening on the 18th hole of the Old Course: One of the LIV Golf tour players being crowned the “Champion Golfer of the Year,’’ the affectionate label attached to the winner upon hoisting the Claret Jug each summer.

If you listened to Martin Slumbers, the CEO of R&A (the British Open governing body), speak Wednesday, you got the feeling that’s a moment he’d loathe.

“We all know the disruption that men’s professional golf is facing and the potential impact it could have on the structure of the game,’’ Slumbers said. “Professional golfers are entitled to choose where they want to play and to accept the prize money that’s offered to them. I have absolutely no issue with that at all. But there is no such thing as a free lunch.

“I believe the model we’ve seen at Centurion and Pumpkin Ridge [LIV Golf’s first two events] is not in the best long-term interests of the sport as a whole and is entirely driven by money. We believe it undermines the merit-based culture and the spirit of open competition that makes golf so special.’’

Asked if a LIV player winning the Open this week would be “the R&A’s worst nightmare,’’ Slumbers did his best to sugarcoat what undoubtedly be a cringeworthy moment.

“Whoever wins on Sunday is going to have their name carved in history, and I’ll welcome them onto the 18th green,’’ he said. “This is a golf tournament. The Open is about having the best players in the world playing, and I want to see who shoots the lowest score come Sunday night.’’

Should a high-profile LIV player such as Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson or Patrick Reed win, that “welcome’’ surely would be met with smiles through clenched teeth by Slumbers and the R&A officials.

Indeed, the fallout from Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed rival tour continued in earnest Wednesday with some strong words of warning from Slumbers.

Among the items Slumbers addressed was the fact that, while the R&A has no plans to ban LIV Golf players the way the PGA Tour has done, there may be a movement to alter the qualification process to get into the Open, which could make it harder for LIV players to get in.

“Looking ahead to the Open next year, we have been asked quite frequently about banning players,’’ Slumbers said. “Let me be very clear: That’s not on our agenda. But what is on our agenda is that we will review our exemptions and qualifications criteria for the Open.

“And whilst we do that every year, we absolutely reserve the right to make changes as our Open Championships Committee deems appropriate. Players have to earn their place in the Open, and that is fundamental to its ethos and its unique global appeal.’’

The primary way in which the R&A — as well as the Augusta National powers that be at the Masters, the USGA for the U.S. Open and the PGA of America for the PGA Championship — can alter the qualification process is by putting more of an emphasis on world ranking points.

That would hurt the LIV players because those events will not getting world ranking points, though the Saudi-backed tour has applied to gain them.

Slumbers, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour commissioner Keith Pelley and USGA CEO Mike Whan are among the voting board members on the Official World Golf Ranking committee.

Those men having a vote on whether LIV Golf events are to get world ranking points is laughable, an obvious conflict of interest.

Yet it remains to be seen whether they will be involved in the voting and how influential they’ll be in the process.

Slumbers declined to expand on whatever role he’ll have in preventing LIV Golf players from receiving world ranking points, slapping back multiple questions on the topic.

“I’m here as the CEO of the R&A,’’ he said. “I’m also a board member of the OWGR and the board meeting was [Tuesday], by the way. And that question will need to be addressed to the chairman of the OWGR. “The OWGR made a statement late [Tuesday] night [stating that LIV Golf has applied to be eligible for points], and I have nothing further to add to that point and will not add to anything more on that point.’’

Asked if he thought that his involvement would be a conflict of interest, Slumbers said tersely: “I think I said earlier I’m not willing to answer any more questions on OWGR. Sorry.’’

Sorry. Not sorry.