Last October, after more than a year of deliberation, the Official World Golf Ranking rejected LIV Golf’s application for world ranking points. On Tuesday, the league formally withdrew its application, which was originally sent in July of 2022.
“We have made significant efforts to fight for you and ensure your accomplishments are recognized within the existing ranking system,” LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman wrote in a letter to players ahead of this week’s event in Hong Kong. “Unfortunately, OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us.”
When it denied LIV points, the OWGR claimed the league – which features a mostly-closed field of 54 players playing 54-hole, shotgun start, no-cut events – wasn’t able to be compared to the other 24 tours under its world ranking wing. Also stated to be of concern were the qualifying and relegation methods employed by LIV Golf.
“We are not at war with them,” Peter Dawson, chairman of the OWGR board, said to the AP. “This decision not to make them eligible is not political. It is entirely technical. LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They’re just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them.”
Commissioner Greg Norman and LIV Golf players have questioned the world ranking system from the jump and have been critical of the board members who may have conflicting interests when it comes to the upstart circuit backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. However, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and others all reportedly recused themselves from the LIV decision to avoid any such conflict.
From the AP:
The committee that rejected LIV’s application comprised leaders from Augusta National, the PGA of America, the U.S. Golf Association and The R&A, which run the four majors. The majors use the OWGR as part of their qualifying criteria.
The pathways to LIV Golf are few and far between, but the league did implement a promotions event last year which saw three players gain status. The leading player on the Asian Tour’s International Series Order of Merit also earns a LIV spot for the following season.
LIV makes its first appearance in Hong Kong this week, March 8-10, at Hong Kong Golf Club in Sheung Shui.