Saudi-backed Liv Golf Tour Critical Of Ruling Despite Being Allowed World Ranking Points

The Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Tour has deed retired astatine what it regards arsenic victimisation from those presiding complete golf’s world rankings process, contempt seeing their hold of astir 4 years for nickname by nan strategy yet end.

It was confirmed connected Monday that those competing successful LIV tournaments will person charismatic world play ranking points but only erstwhile finishing successful nan apical 10. A connection from nan OWGR committee said this “recognises location are a number of areas wherever LIV Golf does not meet nan eligibility standards group out”.

Since LIV title started successful 2022, nan OWGR has not fixed immoderate reward to those performing successful that domain. This has led to antecedently salient golfers tumbling down nan rankings; Cameron Smith is now 221st, Sergio García 363rd and Dustin Johnson 662nd. Not happy pinch an evident triumph of sorts, LIV took purpose astatine nan OWGR pinch a connection of its own: “We admit this agelong overdue infinitesimal of recognition, which affirms nan basal rule that capacity connected nan people should matter, sloppy of wherever nan title takes place.

“However, this result is unprecedented. Under these rules, a subordinate finishing 11th successful a LIV Golf arena is treated nan aforesaid arsenic a subordinate finishing 57th. Limiting points to only nan top-10 finishers disproportionately harms players who consistently execute astatine a precocious level but decorativeness conscionable extracurricular that threshold, arsenic good arsenic emerging talent moving to found themselves connected nan world shape – precisely nan players a adjacent and meritocratic ranking strategy is designed to recognise.

“No different competitory circuit aliases convention successful OWGR history has been subjected to specified a restriction. We expect this is simply a first measurement toward a building that afloat and reasonably serves nan players, nan fans, and nan early of nan sport. We entered this process successful bully religion and will proceed to advocator for a ranking strategy that reflects capacity complete affiliation. The crippled deserves transparency. The fans merit credibility. And nan players merit a strategy that treats them equally.”

LIV’s 2026 play originates against a troubled backdrop after Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed chose to exit. Both will make returns to nan PGA Tour.

Expanding connected their process, nan OWGR said: “The board’s overriding purpose was to place an equitable measurement of ranking nan champion men’s players successful nan world, including nan apical performing players successful LIV Golf, while taking relationship of nan eligibility standards that LIV Golf does not presently meet and nan truth that it operates otherwise from different classed tours successful a number of respects.

“This includes LIV Golf’s mean section size of 57 for 2026 versus nan minimum of 75 group retired successful OWGR Regulations; exclusively no-cut events; nan restrictive pathways to subordinate LIV Golf pinch 2 spots filled from nan Asian Tour’s International Series and 3 from a ‘closed’ promotions arena which does not offset nan turnover of players exiting nan league; self-selection of players pinch players being recruited alternatively than earning their spot connected nan circuit successful galore cases and, successful caller days, nan addition/removal of players to/from teams based connected their nationality alternatively than for meritocratic reasons.”

The OWGR added it will “continue to evaluate” LIV’s competitory status.