LIV Golf gives up pursuit of World Ranking points which could have major ramifications for some of golf’s best
LIV Golf are no longer pursuing Official World Ranking points and are instead now calling for a new independent system.
The Greg Norman-led breakaway league had been attempting to be recognized by OWGR within an official points system.
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But LIV has decided to move on, according to multiple media outlets, due to the OWGR failing to fully legitimise a league featuring Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm.
LIV also 'wants the majors to grant LIV a quota so that players are not excluded from the biggest stages', The Times .
LIV applied to the OWGR for accreditation in July 2022.
The request was eventually denied and now LIV says that it is moving on in the hope of a more universal points system being created.
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“Having refused to recognise your performances over the last few seasons, the OWGR is not and cannot be an ‘official’ ranking," Norman wrote to LIV players, according to The Times.
“This decision will remove any ambiguity about its relevance. The game of golf is changing. It’s expanding and modernising.
"LIV Golf believes that it is time for the player rating system to do the same and we believe that an entirely independent ranking system would best serve the League, Tours, players, fans, and stakeholders.”
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Rahm currently top the OWGR rankings.
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The biggest impact on LIV not being aligned with OWGR's points system will be on lesser-name golfers, who could slide down the rankings list.
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Sports Illustrated that OWGR told LIV it also had an issue with LIV's player pathways circuit.
“We are not at war with them,” OWGR chairman Peter Dawson previously told the Associated Press. “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 to compete on them.”
The PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational is set coming up in Orlando, Florida this week.
Meanwhile, LIV is heading to Hong Kong for its next tournament, also this week.
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