LIV Golf is yet to earn recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) – which is causing some of the Saudi-backed league’s biggest stars to miss out on the majors
LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch wants the Saudi-backed league to stick by its 54-hole format – despite the likes of Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm suggesting otherwise.
LIV has split the world of golf since its launch in 2022 by attracting some of the biggest names in the sport – such as Mickelson, Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau – to leave the PGA Tour.
Those golfers have been paid handsomely for joining the breakaway league, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The PGA Tour and the PIF are locked in talks over a merger to reunite the sport, but a deal is yet to be agreed.
Many of LIV’s initial critics, such as Rory McIlroy, have since softened their stance on the controversial circuit and it seems its here to stay. Yet LIV’s CEO Greg Norman has spent much of the last two years trying to secure recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
OWGR points are needed for golfers to climb up the rankings and automatically qualify for the majors. Several big-name superstars will miss out on competing in some of the game’s biggest tournaments this year after plummeting down the rankings.
Garcia, for example, played at last week’s Masters as a former champion but is not expected to be involved at the Open Championship, the PGA Championship and the US Open due to his low place in the rankings. The likes of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, meanwhile, are set to miss out on all four majors this year.
Many fans would like to see LIV move from 54 to 72 holes to help resolve its OWGR issue, moving from three-day to four-day events. Mickelson said at the Masters: “We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition.”
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