LIV Golf fails in latest bid for world ranking points

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY: LIV Golf league’s application to become a part of the Official World Golf Ranking has been denied again.

In a letter to LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman on Tuesday, the OWGR said its committee had “unanimously determined” that the tour should not be included in the OWGR ranking at this point.

The Public Investment Fund-backed tour, which features 48 players in 12 four-man teams and is held in 14 cities across the globe, first applied for OWGR recognition in July 2022.

The new league is quicky gaining popularity since it guarantees the presence of leading golfers, such as Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, in whichever part of the world it visits.

The OWGR board pointed to two factors in its decision. First is the size of the field and the fact that it remains the same throughout the year; and, second, there is a limited churn of players in the league by way of relegation for those who underperform.

In response, LIV Golf released a statement questioning the validity of OWGR.

“OWGR’s sole objective is to rank the best players across the globe. Today’s communication makes clear that it can no longer deliver on that objective,” it said.

“Players have historically remained subject to a single world ranking to qualify for major championships, the biggest events, and for corporate sponsor contract value.  A ranking which fails to fairly represent all participants, irrespective of where in the world they play golf, robs fans, players and all of golf’s stakeholders of the objective basis underpinning any accurate recognition of the world’s best player performances. It also robs some traditional tournaments of the best fields possible.

“Profess