LIV Golf Responds to World Ranking Points Rejection

After the organization rejected its bid for eligibility, LIV claimed that the OWGR can no longer fairly rank professional golfers.

LIV Golf has responded to the Official World Golf Ranking’s decision to deny the league world ranking points. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the OWGR published a letter addressed to LIV’s CEO Greg Norman and COO Gary Davidson. It stated that the OWGR Board Committee—which includes representatives from each of the four major championships—“unanimously determined” that LIV should not be eligible for ranking points. 

After initially applying for eligibility in July 2022, LIV’s bid was rejected mainly because of its inability to provide player turnover from tournament to tournament. With 12 four-man teams, LIV’s fields stay mostly consistent. There is no such system parallel to the PGA Tour’s Monday qualifying route. 

LIV Golf's players will continue to play only for money now that a bid for world ranking points has been rejected :: Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports

In response to the decision, LIV claimed that the OWGR is no longer capable of fairly ranking professional golfers. The tour wrote in a statement that the OWGR’s decision will “rob some traditional tournaments of the best fields possible.” It is likely referring to the four majors—the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship—which many players qualify via their world ranking. In the absence of world ranking points, LIV golfers have been steadily plummeting in the standings. 

Here is the full statement from LIV Golf: 

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

“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.

“Professional golf is now without a true or global scoring and ranking system. There is no benefit for fans or players from the lack of trust or clarity as long as the best player performances are not recognized.

“LIV will continue to strive to level set the market so fans, broadcasters, and sponsors have the assurance of an independent and objective ranking system and the pure enjoyment of watching the best golf in the world.” 

This week LIV is playing its final regular season event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. Next week its team championship will be contested at Trump National Doral in Miami.