OWGR officially says NO to LIV Golf but admits fault to system
The OWGR has officially denied LIV Golf's request to receive official world golf ranking points.
LIV Golf has once again been hung out to dry by the OWGR after the organisation refused the breakaway Tour's latest attempts to earn official world ranking points.
In a letter received by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman and chief operating officer Gary Davidson, the OWGR made it clear that it can't grant the Tour points due to its shortened format and lack of promotion or relegation.
UPDATE: LIV GOLF HITS BACK AT OWGR WITH FRUSTRATED STATEMENT AFTER BEING SHUNNED RANKING POINTS!
The letter that was sent on Tuesday morning by OWGR president Peter Dawson said:
Since its inception in 2022, world ranking points have been a real issue for LIV Golf, with a number of players having been reassured that, in time, the points would be available so they could qualify for major championships throughout the year.
However, this recent setback will undoubtedly have LIV organisers and players alike asking questions ahead of LIV Jeddah, which starts this Friday.
As things stand, only two LIV Golf players sit inside the world's top 50, both of whom have won major championships in recent years. 2022 Open Championship winner Cam Smith is currently ranked #16 in the world, while five-time major champion Brooks Koepka currently sits at #18.
With the majority of LIV Golf players only taking part in major championships outside of the LIV schedule, there have been some truly staggering drops in the rankings. Former World #1 Dustin Johnson currently sits 121st, while Lee Westwood has dropped as far as 565th.
Speaking with Global Golf Post after the delivery of the letter on Tuesday morning, Dawson clarified that there is no bad blood between the OWGR and LIV Golf and also acknowledged that the world ranking system does suffer due to LIV Golf not qualifying.
Dawson said:
After much deliberation, the OWGR cited two key issues that were critical to declining LIV's application for world ranking points.
Those were the 54-hole no-cut limited field team format and the lack of access granted to players attempting to join the Tour, as well as suitable relegation for those that underperform.
In the letter to LIV Golf officials, Dawson added:
Dawson then went on to explain the organisation's ruling when in discussion with Global Golf Post, saying:
This breaking news has already caused quite a stir online, with one critic of the decision claiming the OWGR has "lost all credibility'.
Fans of the decision, however, have jumped to the OWGR's defence, sighting LIV Golf's format as an obvious sticking point.
100% correct. Can't give them points when it's totally different format and set up.
— Johnny Moore (@johnnymoore82) October 10, 2023
While Dawson was clear on the committee's decision, he did admit, when speaking to Global Golf Post, that the system does need fixing.
He added:
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.
