LIV Golf is currently being reviewed by the Official World Golf Ranking Board New allianceMENA Tour but said Thursday in a statement that it would not make a decision before the start LIV Golfs next two events in Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia.
LIV Golf officials hoped that its new partnership with the MENA Tour (a developmental circuit that has hosted events in the Middle East & North Africa since 2016) would allow its members to earn world ranking point, starting with this week’s LIV Golf Inviteal Thailand.
The statement stated that the first two tournaments of this tournament were in this . [MENA]series appeared to be the exact same as the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments held in Bangkok and Jeddah. The MENA Tour sent a communication confirming this. It also included a starting field file for the Bangkok tournament.
Notice by the MENA Tour of the changes made is insufficient for OWGR (on the occasion of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (7-9/10) and LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (14-6/10), stated OWGR. Only after a review has been completed will a decision made about awarding points to MENA Tours new Limited Field Tournaments.
ESPN reached LIV Golf on Thursday and a spokesperson for the company declined to comment.
Greg Norman, LIV Golfs CEO and Commissioner, has grown increasingly frustrated by the OWGRs failure to recognize his startup circuit which is being funded from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The series signed 12 of the 50 top players in the world rankings, including the current Open champion. Cameron SmithThe No. The No. 3 player in the world, along with past major winners Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau Patrick Reed.
Wednesdays news release from the MENA Tour stated that the alliance will boost the MENA Tour’s development programs and immediately qualifie LIV Golf for OWGR Points, starting with the LIV Golf Thai event at Stonehill this Week.
Each of the 48 participants in the LIV Golf event in Chicago signed a letter asking Peter Dawson, OWGR chairperson, to retroactively include LIV Golf results into its rankings.
To maintain trust, I urge you — as one the true statesmen in sports — to act appropriately and include, on a retrospective basis, the results from LIV Golf events into OWGRs ranking calculations, wrote the LIV players. An OWGR that does not include LIV would be incomplete or inaccurate. It would be the equivalent to leaving the Big 10 or SEC out U.S. college football rankings. Or leaving England, Argentina, and Belgium out the FIFA rankings.
Johnson wasnt certain LIV golfers will receive retroactive ranking point for past tournaments.
Johnson said that Johnson didnt believe it would happen. Johnson spoke to reporters in Thailand on Thursday. Johnson said that it would be nice if they could do that. We are not playing events where you can get points so we are just slowly moving down. If the world ranking points are supposed be non-biased for golfers, then we should. Its not something I see happening though, so at least well have them going forward. After all, its supposed be fair and nonbiased for golf, which is exactly the way we are doing.
Mickelson stated that he believed that the OWGR would recognize LIV-related events.
Mickelson stated that he thinks from a players perspective, and that it is great to see LIV working so hard for the best interests of the players during a news conference on Thursday. I think this is a great way for the World Golf Rankings to maintain its credibility without introducing politics into the decision-making process. Its good for everyone.
The reason that Im not concerned about the points is that they are based on the quality and not the organization that runs the tournament. The quality of our field has been remarkable and the World Golf Rankings will continue to award the correct number of points to all tours to keep their credibility.