(Reuters) – LIV Golf’s bid to have its players earn ranking points has been unanimously rejected by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) due to concerns about the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit’s format, Global Golf Post reported on Tuesday.
In the report, Global Golf Post said it reviewed a letter sent on Tuesday to LIV Golf’s Chief Executive Greg Norman from the OWGR which said that “at this time” it will not be recognised as an Eligible Golf Tour in the OWGR system.
The OWGR and LIV Golf did not immediately reply when asked by Reuters to comment on the report.
Critics say LIV Golf, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, amounts to “sportswashing” by a nation trying to improve its image amid criticism of its human rights record.
Global Golf Post said in the report it had spoken to OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson after the letter had been sent and he insisted the decision was not political.
“This is entirely technical. OWGR has no hostility toward LIV whatsoever,” Dawson was quoted as saying.
LIV Golf applied for recognition in the rankings, which play a key role in deciding entry into golf’s four majors, in July 2022 and its players have said excluding them “undermines the historical value” of the ranking.
According to Global Golf Post, the OWGR’s governing board said LIV Golf’s tournament format — 54-hole, no-cut events for 48 players — is an issue but one that Dawson said was “capable of being dealt with mathematically in the system.”
The bigger concern, according to Global Golf Post, is the limited access for players to join LIV Golf which, barring injury, features the same 48 players all season.
The report added that LIV informed the OWGR in July that 14 players will be invited back next season regardless of their performance, more than double the number that LIV officials originally told the OWGR.
“With contracts and team captains, there are many ways to stay on the LIV tour even if you are not playing well,” Dawson told Global Golf Post.
“If LIV could find a way to come up with a more open competition style and relegation, we would certainly consider that. There should be many more vacancies than perhaps there are. I don’t think it’s fair to the other 24 eligible tours and the thousands of players trying to get a start each week.”
According to the OWGR website, the ranking points breakdown is derived from each tournament’s total field rating and points are awarded to players who make the cut and complete an event, subject to their finishing position in the tournament.
While golf’s four majors have allowed qualified LIV Golf players to compete, those who earned exemption into the blue-riband events due to past results could one day be left out as they are not earning world ranking points.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
