USA Today via Reuters
Aug 17, 2024; Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA; Jon Rahm on the 5th hole at The Old White at the Greenbrier. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Aug 17, 2024; Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA; Jon Rahm on the 5th hole at The Old White at the Greenbrier. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jon Rahm finished T-11 at LIV Dallas last season—a solid result that, under OWGR’s new framework, would earn him exactly zero ranking points while still adding to his divisor. The arithmetic tells the story before any player opens his mouth.
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LIV Golf secured inclusion in the Official World Golf Ranking on February 3, 2026, ending a standoff that stretched back to the league’s 2022 launch. But the terms of that inclusion have players questioning whether recognition without equality serves them at all. Only the top 10 finishers will receive points, while everyone from 11th to last walks away with nothing—yet their participation still counts against them in the rolling calculation.
Rahm, speaking after his opening round at LIV Riyadh, did not mince words. “It’s fantastic that we’re getting points. It’s fantastic that we’re being recognized in a way,” he said. “With that said, I don’t like how we’re not being treated the same as every other tour. With only 10 of us getting points, it doesn’t seem fair.”
Jon Rahm on LIV getting world ranking points:
“It’s fantastic that we’re being recognized in a way. With that said, I don’t like how we’re not being treated the same as every other tour… With only 10 of us getting points, it doesn’t seem fair.”
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) February 4, 2026
He pointed to an inconsistency that undercuts OWGR’s stated rationale. “There are small fields out there throughout the course of the year that get full points, or full players get points, right? So, there’s work to be done.” If the field size justified restrictions, other tours would face them too. They do not.
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Talor Gooch offered no diplomatic cushion. “Obviously, I don’t think the right thing was done, which is not any different than what we’ve experienced here at LIV for the last four or five seasons now,” he said. “I think anybody who says that the right thing was done and the fair thing was done, I don’t think they’re in tune with the reality of things.”
Bryson DeChambeau was among the first to respond publicly, though his reaction carried more bewilderment than outrage. “I haven’t been able to digest it fully,” he admitted. “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 pressed on whether limiting points to the top 10 was fair, DeChambeau deflected toward gratitude tempered by uncertainty. “I don’t know. At least we’re getting points, right?”
The frustration gains clarity against the ranking landscape. DeChambeau sits at No. 33 in the world, Tyrrell Hatton at No. 22—the only LIV players inside the top 50. Rahm, despite finishing inside the top 10 in 12 of 13 events last season, has slipped to No. 97. A system that awards nothing for 11th place while increasing the divisor means strong finishes can actively erode a player’s standing.
🚨🗣️❌ #TAKING ISSUE — LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch is NOT happy with the OWGR’s decision: “Yeah. I mean, obviously I don’t think the right thing was done, which is not any different than what we’ve experienced here at LIV for the last four or five seasons now.”
“Yeah, it’ll be… pic.twitter.com/YE6aernDKr
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 4, 2026
OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman acknowledged the complexity but defended the framework. “We fully recognised the need to rank the top men’s players in the world but at the same time had to find a way of doing so that was equitable to the thousands of other players competing on other tours that operate with established meritocratic pathways,” he said.
Why OWGR imposed restrictions on LIV Golf’s ranking points
The board cited specific concerns in its ruling. LIV’s average field of 57 players falls below the 75-player minimum in OWGR regulations. The league runs exclusively no-cut events. Pathways to join remain narrow—two spots via the Asian Tour’s International Series, three from a closed promotions event, and the rest filled through recruitment rather than performance-based qualification.
LIV’s shift from 54-hole to 72-hole events for 2026 was noted but deemed insufficient to alter the eligibility framework. The board categorized LIV tournaments alongside “Small Field Tournaments,” a designation that caps the points available regardless of the talent assembled. A LIV winner at Riyadh is projected to receive approximately 23 OWGR points. Justin Rose earned nearly 57 for his victory at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. Signature Event winners collect 66.
LIV’s official statement called the restriction “unprecedented,” noting that no other competitive tour in OWGR history has faced such limitations. The league pledged to continue advocating for a ranking system that reflects performance over affiliation, framing the decision as “merely a first step.”
OWGR indicated it will continue to evaluate as the league evolves. Whether that evaluation leads to expanded recognition or further restriction remains undefined. The door opened. The room behind it stays contested.
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