LIV Golf’s pursuit for Official World Golf Ranking points has failed due to fairness concerns despite a gruelling, and tumultuous, 15-month campaign.
The OWGR board on Tuesday rejected the application, which was first submitted in July 2022 after LIV Golf’s first controversial season had begun.
The rebel tour’s unique format saw its events not satisfy several areas of the OWGR criteria, chiefly not playing 72 holes or having a 36-hole cut.
League commissioner Greg Norman hoped the standard of players, and quality of competition, could force an exception.
However, what simply couldn’t be overlooked by the OWGR was that LIV Golf is a closed shop with the same 48 players locked in across a season.
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In rejecting the bid, the strength of the Saudi-backed circuit was acknowledged but, ultimately, it was impossible to find a way to fairly incorporate LIV alongside other tours with greater access.
OWGR chair Peter Dawson was also eager to stress that it was not a “political” decision given the lingering tension between LIV and the PGA Tour, despite an agreement to merge between the latter and LIV’s financial backers, the Public Investment Fund.
“We are not at war with them,” Dawson told the Associated Press.
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“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.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, European tour chief Keith Pelley and Keith Waters all recused themselves from the decision due to a potential conflict of interest.
The decision means LIV Golf stars, including Cameron Smith, will continue to struggle to accumulate OWGR points, outside of playing in the majors.
Earning access to the majors themselves also becomes more difficult given a top OWGR ranking is the widest avenue into them for those who are not previous champions.
Even so, the door is open for LIV Golf stars to return to the PGA Tour from next year should a merger become official by the end of 2023.
