LIV Golf’s request for world rating factors is rejected – Golf Information

LIV Golf’s software for its members to be awarded Official World Golf Rating factors for competing in its 48-player occasions has been rejected, in line with extensively circulated studies.

The OWGR board knowledgeable LIV Golf officers, together with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, of its determination at this time [Tuesday], confirming that LIV Golf occasions will proceed to not be recognised as occasions worthy of any world rating factors, one thing that had been the case since LIV Golf League’s launch in June 2022.

The OWGR has cited a number of causes for its determination – specifically the 54-hole format, the absence of a minimize, the restricted entry for gamers to hitch LIV, and the restricted variety of gamers relegated from the league that underperform.

“The vital level is this isn’t in regards to the gamers. LIV gamers are self-evidently adequate to be ranked; there isn’t any doubt about that,” Peter Dawson, chairman of the OWGR board, is reported to have mentioned when questioned on the choice. “That is about whether or not a tour whose codecs are so totally different, and whose qualification standards are so totally different, can they be ranked equitably with different excursions who conform to the OWGR norm and have extra competitors to them than maybe the closed store that’s LIV?”

When LIV launched 16 months in the past, it boasted over 20 gamers on the earth’s prime 100. In response to the most recent rating, solely two LIV members at the moment are within the prime 50 – Cameron Smith (fifteenth) and Brooks Koepka (18th) – and solely six within the prime 100.

As a part of the framework settlement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, there was discuss of getting discussions round LIV securing OWGR factors. This subsequently led PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and Keith Waters of the Worldwide Federation of PGA Excursions to take themselves out of the OWGR’s discussions about LIV’s request for OWGR factors given their extensively identified emotions about LIV.

With this newest determination by the OWGR, LIV Golf members will now need to compete in native and sectional qualifying for the US Open and Open Championship, whereas solely previous champions are more likely to qualify for the Masters and the US PGA Championship.

After being knowledgeable of the OWGR’s determination, LIV rapidly issued a strongly worded assertion saying that ‘skilled golf is now with out a true or international scoring and rating system’.

The assertion, which was unattributed to anybody particular person, mentioned: “OWGR’s sole goal is to rank one of the best gamers throughout the globe. Right this moment’s communication makes clear that it could possibly not ship on that goal. Gamers have traditionally remained topic to a single world rating to qualify for Main Championships, the most important occasions, and for company sponsor contract worth. A rating which fails to pretty signify all individuals, regardless of the place on the earth they play golf, robs followers, gamers and all of golf’s stakeholders of the target foundation underpinning any correct recognition of the world’s finest participant performances. It additionally robs some conventional tournaments of one of the best fields doable.”

It went on: “Skilled golf is now with out a true or international scoring and rating system. There is no such thing as a profit for followers or gamers from the dearth of belief or readability so long as one of the best participant performances aren’t recognised. LIV will proceed to try to degree set the market so followers, broadcasters, and sponsors have the reassurance of an unbiased and goal rating system and the pure enjoyment of watching one of the best golf on the earth.”