Greg Norman blasts 'laughable' rankings for LIV golfers
Greg Norman has taken aim at the Official World Golf Rankings as LIV Golf's biggest stars continue to tumble down the list.
LIV's Greg Norman has once again taken aim at the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Following the governing body's decision in October of 2023 not to sanction the Saudi-backed league with OWGR points, some of LIV's biggest stars, including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia have seen their world rankings positions drop to career lows.
LIV has been unable to gain OWGR points for various reasons, including the 54-hole format, lack of a qualifying process, and no cut.
Other high-profile figures, such as Phil Mickelson, believe the snub is part of a grand conspiracy to help the PGA Tour keep its stranglehold on men's professional golf.
A number of players have voiced their concern with the lack of OWGR points available to LIV players, and when the most recent rankings were published, Norman took to X to make his feelings clear on the list, calling it "laughable".
Laughable. LIV would have 2 players in the top 50 OWGR if you exclude recent signees! pic.twitter.com/9EeJOxaMRN
— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) February 19, 2024
Norman lined up the OWGR rankings alongside lists published by Data Golf, Sports Illustrated, and the Universal Golf Ranking in an attempt to highlight just how inaccurate the rankings are.
According to the OWGR, only five LIV players currently rank in the top 50 in the world, with Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith making the list.
In contrast, the three other lists feature between eight and ten LIV golfers.
All three of Meronk, Hatton, and Rahm have only recently joined LIV, with their positions primarily reflected by their performances on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Koepka is the highest ranked of LIV's founding members, sitting 29th in the rankings due to his win at the 2023 PGA Championship and his T-2 finish at the 2023 Masters.
Smith rounds out the list, ranked 44th, primarily due to his win at the 2022 Open Championship.
While both Koepka and Smith have managed to retain their position in the top 50, both Johnson and DeChambeau have seen themselves plummet down the rankings, with Johnson sitting at 231st and DeChambeau at 169th.
Johnson has voiced his concern with the OWGR before, claiming:
While it remains unlikely the OWGR will change their position on LIV any time soon without a change of format, the proposed merger between the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour could signify a light on the horizon for LIV players.
If the proposed merger does go through, it is likely LIV golfers could see their playing right on the PGA Tour reinstated, in which case they could earn valuable OWGR points once again.
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Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
