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DORAL, FLORIDA – APRIL 04: Captain Bryson Dechambeau of Crushers GC reacts from the first tee during Day One of LIV Golf Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on April 04, 2025 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Lauren Sopourn/Getty Images
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DORAL, FLORIDA – APRIL 04: Captain Bryson Dechambeau of Crushers GC reacts from the first tee during Day One of LIV Golf Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on April 04, 2025 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Lauren Sopourn/Getty Images
For years, LIV Golf argued that exclusion from the Official World Golf Ranking undermined its legitimacy. Now inclusion comes with an asterisk—and the league calls it unprecedented discrimination.
The OWGR Governing Board announced on February 3, 2026, that LIV Golf events would receive world ranking points for the first time since the Saudi-backed rebel league launched in 2022. The decision was unanimous, effective immediately, and arrived just one day before LIV’s new season kicks off in Riyadh. But the fine print turned celebration into confrontation: only the top-10 finishers in each 57-man field will earn points, with everyone from 11th to 57th place receiving nothing.
LIV Golf acknowledged the ruling as a “long-overdue moment of recognition” before pivoting to sharp criticism. The league’s official statement called the outcome unprecedented, noting that no other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subjected to such a restriction. Under these rules, a player finishing 11th is treated identically to one finishing last. A framework LIV argues contradicts the OWGR’s own stated mission of ranking players based on relative performance.
Bryson DeChambeau‘s reaction captured the mood among LIV players: relief mixed with skepticism, acceptance shadowed by confusion.
“I haven’t been able to digest it fully,” he said. “I’m just digesting it currently. Literally, you saw me over there looking and going, ‘Okay, alright.’ So, trying to understand what it all means and how it all shakes out.”
When asked whether limiting points to top-10 finishers was fair, DeChambeau offered no endorsement. “I don’t know. I have no idea how they were going to handle it. I didn’t know if we were going to get points. So, at least we’re getting points, right?”
The fact that sponsor exemptions into full-OWGR point events shows the ridiculousness of OWGR. Majors should cut out the middle man and give spots to LIV players to some extent
— Eric Olsen 🎥 📷 (@xCaptainEO) February 3, 2026
PGA did respond to OWGR’s new ruling. An official statement was released. PGA Tour spoke out albiet very cryptically.
The meritocracy paradox cuts deeper when measured against what LIV surrendered. The league abandoned its signature 54-hole format for 72-hole events, expanded its field from 54 to 57 players, and added qualifying pathways through the Asian Tour’s International Series and a January promotions event in Florida. The reforms were designed to meet OWGR eligibility criteria, and they did pay, partially. The board still cited concerns about field size falling below the 75-player minimum, the no-cut format, and what it described as self-selection of players recruited rather than earning their place.
Jon Rahm had articulated the frustration months earlier. During the 2025 LIV Golf Andalucia, he argued that the league’s events deserve world ranking points regardless of format, calling the “exhibition” label “false” and insisting it represents “good competition,” a golf outlet reported. That conviction now collides with a system that validates LIV’s competitive status while restricting the rewards for competing.
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LIV Golf’s OWGR points restriction creates steeper path to major championships
The practical implications extend beyond the principle. A LIV winner at Riyadh is projected to receive approximately 23 OWGR points—comparable to a standard DP World Tour event but less than half of what PGA Tour full-field events award. Justin Rose earned nearly 57 points for his victory at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, while Signature Event winners collect 66 points.
For LIV players without major exemptions, the path to qualifying through world ranking narrows considerably. Tyrrell Hatton sits at No. 22, DeChambeau at No. 33, and Rahm has fallen to No. 97 despite ranking fifth in OWGR’s strokes-gained metric. Emerging talent faces the steepest climb—consistent top-15 finishes yield nothing, while sustained top-10 runs become mandatory just to hold position.
LIV called the decision “merely a first step” and pledged to continue advocating for a ranking system that reflects performance over affiliation. The OWGR indicated it will continue to evaluate as the league evolves, leaving open the possibility of increased points, decreased points, or removal altogether.
Recognition arrived. So did restrictions. Whether this represents integration or institutionalized inequality remains the unanswered question.
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