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Hero Dubai Desert Classic Jon Rahm ESP on the 13th tee during round 2 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 17/01/2025 Picture: Golffile Fran Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*
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Hero Dubai Desert Classic Jon Rahm ESP on the 13th tee during round 2 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 17/01/2025 Picture: Golffile Fran Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*
Things have not been too rosy for LIV Golf of late, but amidst all the troubles, there is finally some good news for the Saudi-backed league. The Official World Golf Ranking has delivered a landmark ruling that will please the administrators. Additionally, the players who defected from traditional tours also have a reason to celebrate.
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The OWGR has finally decided to grant the league ranking points. However, there is a caveat. The ruling designates LIV as a “small field tournament,” which means that only the top-10 finishers and ties will receive points in each event.
Official World Golf Ranking Board Announces Decision on LIV Golf Application.
Read more here – https://t.co/31gNGJmhXg#OWGR#OfficialWorldGolfRanking pic.twitter.com/l6Ijo2fm66
— OWGR (@OWGRltd) February 3, 2026
For the top-tier stars who have seen their global standings plummet since joining the PIF-funded circuit, this is a shot in the arm in terms of their Major prospects. However, others may not be too happy with the caveat. While finishing 11th would usually be a commendable effort, the OWGR decision will make it akin to finishing last.
The February 3 announcement confirmed that LIV Golf has been approved as the 25th member of the OWGR. Notably, points will be awarded starting with the Riyadh event which marks the beginning of the 2026 season. The winner of the Riyadh event will receive approximately 23.03 points out of the total 108.2913
Notably, it is a huge win for LIV after so many years of toil. However, the journey was not easy as they had to make plenty of structural changes to reach this point.
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Changes LIV Golf made to secure OWGR accreditation
The road to accreditation was a rocky one for the Saudi-backed league and they had to make a few compromises along the way. The biggest change was the shift from their innovative 54-hole format to the traditional 72-hole system.
“Moving to 72 holes is the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and delivers more of what the fans want,” Jon Rahm had said while sharing his views on the change.
Additionally, the field size saw a change from 54 to 57 players. This helped the league move away from its “closed shop” image that led to its application initially being rejected in 2023.
“The move to 72 holes marks a pivotal new chapter for LIV Golf that strengthens our league, challenges our elite field of players, and delivers more of the world-class golf, energy, innovation and access that our global audience wants. The most successful leagues around the world continue to innovate and evolve their product, and as an emerging league, we are no different. LIV Golf will always have an eye towards progress that acts in the best interest of LIV Golf and in the best interest of the sport,” CEO Scott O’Neil had said about the changes.
Notably, the latest development has come at a crucial time for LIV Golf as it has been going through a turbulent period of late, marked specifically by key personnel leaving, including Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.