Scott O’Neil and his team did everything they could over the last few months to ensure Jon Rahm & Co. received OWGR points in the 2026 season. And their hard work finally paid off after Trevor Immelman & Co. confirmed that the pros part of the Saudi-based promotion will start receiving world ranking points from the season-opening event. But there was a catch. And O’Neil shared some wisdom on it.

Speaking to TNT Sports about only the top-10 receiving ranking points, the LIV Golf CEO said, “Sometimes, it’s more important to be effective than right. Sometimes, you have to take half a step back to take two steps forward. This might be one of those times. We’re going to do this with grace. We’re going to do this with dignity. That’s what the game deserves. I want the fans to focus a lot more on Jon Rahm & Bryson DeChambeau than they are on Scott O’Neil and what he feels about OWGR.”

The message is clear from the LIV Golf CEO. He has fulfilled his promise to sanction LIV Golf events through the OWGR before the start of the season may not turned out the way he would have wanted. But Immelman & Co. has still accepted the PIF-funded promotion into their system.

Unlike many who have complained about the OWGR’s decision, O’Neil hasn’t criticized them for only allotting the top-10 with ranking points. His statement of “take half a step back to take two steps forward,” makes us understand that he realizes that LIV Golf still adhere by the regulations to avail all the privileges.

As per the statement released by OWGR, the regulations state that the field size needs to be a minimum of 75 players in most of the events for everyone to get points. But LIV Golf tournaments are only played with 57 players.

That said, O’Neil’s star players, DeChambeau and Rahm, were frustrated with the OWGR about the mistreatment. And they couldn’t hold themselves back, unlike their CEO.

Bryson DeChambeau & Jon Rahm are not as grateful for the OWGR as Scott O’Neil

Scott O’Neil expressed his gratitude and understood the gaps they need to fill. But Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm were not as perceptive of the situation as they viewed it as a targeted mistreatment of LIV Golf.

DeChambeau told the media, “I haven’t been able to digest it fully. 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.”

He was unable to grasp how the OWGR thought this was a viable solution to their request. Going in with a 57-player field, it’s unfair that only the top-10 would get world ranking points in every tournament.

Rahm also had similar views about the situation, as Flushing It revealed his statement, “Finishing in 11th is basically a missed cut, and we’re already adding to the devisor. But I’m thankful that LIV golf got their foot on the door, and there’s a possibility for us to walk in the room and be recognised as a tour, as we should be.”

The Spanish veteran suggested that not finishing in the top-10 is essentially as good as missing the cut. Notably, in the PGA Tour, those who miss the cut don’t get OWGR points. So there isn’t much difference between the two formats.