Asian Tour CEO pledges support for LIV Golf Tour to get world ranking points

Asian Tour CEO and commissioner Cho Minn Thant confirmed that the LIV Golf Tour is still in pursuit of world ranking points which it wants for its 2023 schedule.

Speaking at the conclusion of the International Series Korea event on a tour which has now become a feeder to the LIV Golf Series, Cho revealed the Asian Tour has nominated the new league to meet a requirement to achieve ranking points.

The commissioner, who played in the first LIV Golf pro-am with Phil Mickelson at Centurion in June, also confirmed that PGA Tour players who play on the Asian Tour won't face sanctions despite its association with LIV Golf.

The Asian Tour and the International Series have benefitted from a $300 million investment from Greg Norman's company, a company which is largely owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

Taehoon Ok won the fourth International Series event of the year at the Lotte Skyhill Country Club Jeju. Further events on this lucrative series have been announced for Morocco and Egypt later in 2022.

"LIV Golf are applying for world ranking points independently, but the process requires a nomination by one of the full-member Tours," Cho said.

Look out for these guys in Boston! #LIVGolfInv #LIVGolf @LIVGolfInv pic.twitter.com/x2qEoWaj4B

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) August 22, 2022

"As a good partner, it was our responsibility to help LIV Golf submit their bid for world ranking points and that is underway now - the Asian Tour has nominated them, and they are providing the technical information that will support their application with the intention of getting world ranking points next year.

"Our mandate is to provide a pathway for our members to further their careers. We now provide our members with the opportunity to play LIV Golf events but we also support members like Joohyung Kim who choose the PGA Tour path.

"We have many members who are dual members of other Tours and play in Japan, Europe or Australia, we don’t have a problem at all."

According to various reports, tours that qualify for world ranking points must go over a prize money threshold of $50,000, contain average field sizes of 75 players, feature a format of at least 54 holes and must provide a pathway tour to reach the main circuit.

With the help of the Asian Tour and the current structure that LIV Golf has, most of the criteria would be met. This would be a big step because the Saudi-backed series would've gained a significant degree of credibility.

All of the main organisations in golf form the board of the Official World Golf Rankings. LIV will need to convince the likes of PGA Tour, the PGA of America, the R&A, the USGA and Augusta National of their eligibility to gain ranking points.