With LIV Golf’s Longstanding OWGR Battle Reportedly Reaching an End, Does the Rebel League Deserve World Ranking Points?

Published 10/09/2023, 8:43 AM EDT

It has been nearly 1.5 years since LIV’s first season was played, and ever since, the journey has been like a roller coaster. There were moments such as the Adelaide event, LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka winning the major tournament or competing in the Ryder Cup, or the $3 billion merger that just screamed victory for the league. But the ups do not mean that the league did not have any lows either! To reiterate, the extent of low moments such as backlash, name-calling, different treatment, and not being respected for the game was far greater than the good moments.

One thing that has always kept the Saudi players on edge is their standing on the Official World Golf Rankings, as there have been many instances in the past when the LIV defectors have expressed their feelings about the rankings very clearly. And with the decision about the LIV golfers’ ranking fate fast approaching, the question arises: do the LIV golfers deserve a legitimate place in the OWGR standings? Or are things fine the way they are?

Do LIV Golf players deserve a place in the Official World Golf Rankings?

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Almost 1.5 years ago, LIV Golf sent a letter to OWGR in an attempt to make its events eligible for ranking points. Currently, players playing on the Saudi-backed tour only get points for the majors they compete in. In between the application and process, a long period has passed, and maybe the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger caused the decision to be delayed. But now, the time for the final verdict about LIV Golf’s legitimacy is coming very close.

Peter Dawson, the chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking, recently said that they are coming very close to a conclusion very soon regarding the Saudi-funded league’s application. The golfers who now play on LIV Golf have witnessed their standings in the OWGR plummeting very much. Even the top golfers in the Saudi League are not in the top 10 of the standings.

In the hope of changing all of this, the application was submitted. The golf fraternity is close to the historic decision, but there have been many extensive discussions in the past about the LIV golfers deserving the place in the ranking system because of the ‘kind of golf’ they play. LIV loyalist and PGA Tour veteran Phil Mickelson has raised the issue several times in the past and garnered a lot of attention for it.

To put it simply, there will be no overall harm if the LIV golf is granted their request of being legitimate and their players get points for competing in the LIV events. In a way, it would encourage healthier competition and would keep all the other golfers on their toes as well. To talk about whether or not LIV players deserve to be awarded points for their involvement in the events is still a far-fetched exaggeration, as what they do is technically play the sport with the same zeal that all the other golfers do.

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The battle of points for LIV Golf may soon come to an end, but there have been a lot of inhibitions on whether or not the league should get the success it has been longing for since its inception.

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What are the inhibitions that come in the way of LIV’s OWGR battle?

There are a total of 24 tours all across the world that are given points under the OWGR. Despite the criteria that are used to decide the tours, LIV Golf has been a trailblazer in the golf world. Its distinctive and non-traditional format, such as playing 54 holes rather than 72 holes, a 48-player field, a no-cut policy, no weekly qualifying criteria, and so on, have been a few roadblocks in the OWGR battle.

As per the criteria, a tour needs to be operational for one year before it gets accreditation from OWGR. LIV Golf’s team format may also come under scrutiny, as there may be reflections on how it might affect individual play, and rankings are primarily about individual play. On the other hand, the PGA Tour has been a historic representative of the sport for the longest time, so the extent of the difference between the two formats and being on somewhat the same pedestal may ignite the discussion!

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Written by:

After successfully establishing herself as a valuable team member and writer for the organization and the golf division, Riya Singhal has now taken on the role of a Content Analyst. Alongside her new role, Riya continues to work as a writer for the golf department since she shares a strong passion for writing. One of her biggest moments in ES came during her early days, when her piece about Brooks Koepka’s heartwarming gestures towards a young fan at the Masters quickly rose to the top of the charts.

Edited by:

Sheldon Pereira

With LIV Golf’s Longstanding OWGR Battle Reportedly Reaching an End, Does the Rebel League Deserve World Ranking Points?

Do LIV Golf players deserve a place in the Official World Golf Rankings?

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What are the inhibitions that come in the way of LIV’s OWGR battle?