Golf-DeChambeau, Koepka slam World Golf Ranking for snubbing LIV Golf

(Reuters) - LIV Golf players Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka criticised the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) on Friday for dragging their feet over a decision on whether to award ranking points to those competing on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

LIV Golf submitted an application to the OWGR board in July and this week formed an alliance with the little-known MENA Tour in a bid to fast-track its quest for ranking points but quickly learned that, for now, its players will remain ineligible.

"They're delaying the inevitable. We've hit every mark in their criteria, so for us not to get points is kind of crazy with having the top - at least I believe we have the top players in the world," former U.S. Open champion DeChambeau said after the opening round of the LIV Golf event in Bangkok.

"We're going to keep dropping down in the rankings to where our points won't ever matter. That's what they're trying to accomplish, and I hope that people can see right through that rather than believe the lies that they've been told."

DeChambeau, who won the 2020 U.S. Open and has dropped to 48th in the rankings from a career-high of fourth, added that he hopes the OWGR retroactively awards ranking points for this week's LIV Golf event.

Without the ability to earn ranking points, which carry significant weight when it comes to gaining entry into golf's four majors, those competing on LIV Golf will ultimately be at risk of missing the blue-riband events.

Earlier this week the MENA Tour, which holds events across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia and is among the eligible tours listed on the OWGR website, announced its partnership with LIV Golf.

The MENA Tour felt the alliance would allow LIV Golf players to start earning ranking points