<p>Tim O'Neil, LIV CEO</p>
LIV Golf has angrily responded to being awarded limited points by the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in its short history.
The OWGR announced late on Tuesday that LIV Golf will receive points this season, starting with the season-opening LIV Riyadh event, which will tee off under lights from Wednesday.
However, points are limited to the top 10 finishers, and the winner will receive less than half the number of points that world number one Scottie Scheffler — and recent LIV Golf defector Brooks Koepka — will be hoping to bag at the WM Phoenix Open.
That the OWGR made its announcement by pointing out that the reduced number of points awarded took into account “the eligibility standards that LIV Golf does not currently meet and the fact that it operates differently from other ranked tours in a number of respects” did not go down well with LIV Golf.
In a statement, LIV Golf said: "We acknowledge this long‑overdue moment of recognition, which affirms the fundamental principle that performance on the course should matter, regardless of where the competition takes place.
"However, this outcome is unprecedented. Under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th.
"Limiting points to only the top 10 finishers disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold, as well as emerging talent working to establish themselves on the world stage—precisely the players a fair and meritocratic ranking system is designed to recognise.
The OWGR is classifying LIV Golf events as ‘Small Field Tournaments’ with only the top 10 in their 57-man fields awarded points.
OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman, the former Masters champion, said that getting to this point had been "an incredibly complex and challenging process and one which we have devoted a huge amount of time and energy to resolving in the seven months since LIV Golf submitted their application.”
Immelman added: "We fully recognised the need to rank the top men’s players in the world, but at the same time had to find a way of doing so that was equitable to the thousands of other players competing on other tours that operate with established meritocratic pathways.
“We believe we have found a solution that achieves these twin aims and enables the best-performing players at LIV Golf events to receive OWGR points.
“I would like to acknowledge the substantial and constructive efforts made by Scott O’Neil and the team at LIV Golf.
"We look forward to working with them on implementing this approach with immediate effect for the 2026 LIV Golf season.”
<img alt="" height="1666" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/1770137826617-1ES96RGVZE9S5NI103UE/IMG_2197.jpeg?format=1000w" width="2500" />
<p>Reigning team campions, Legion XIII. Picture: LIV Golf</p>
While the OWGR acknowledged that LIV Golf is working on further changes to its 2027 format, it cited a long list of problems that clearly irked LIV Golf leadership.
“LIV Golf’s average field size of 57 for 2026 versus the minimum of 75 set out in OWGR Regulations,” the OWGR said, adding that "exclusively no-cut events; the restrictive pathways to join LIV Golf with two spots filled from the Asian Tour’s International Series and three from a “closed” promotions event which does not offset the turnover of players exiting the league; self-selection of players with players being recruited rather than earning their place on the tour in many cases and, in recent days, the addition/removal of players to/from teams based on their nationality rather than for meritocratic reasons.”
LIV Golf withdrew its application for OWGR points after being initially rejected for its 54-hole, no-cut format, limited 48-man fields, and the lack of a clear promotion and relegation pathway in October 2023.
LIV did not accept that, adding: “No other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subjected to such a restriction. We expect this is merely a first step toward a structure that fully and fairly serves the players, the fans, and the future of the sport.
"We entered this process in good faith and will continue to advocate for a ranking system that reflects performance over affiliation.
"The game deserves transparency. The fans deserve credibility. And the players deserve a system that treats them equally."
The advent of the LIV Promotions qualifying event, the expansion to 72 holes this year and the creation of more promotion and relegation places have opened the door, but it's clear the OWGR wants more concessions.
The OWGR board comprises Immelman (non-voting chairman) and representative for Participating Eligible Tours as well as Augusta National (Will Jones, Executive Director), the R&A (Mark Darbon, CEO), the PGA of America (Kerry Haigh, Chief Championships Officer), the USGA (Mike Whan, CEO), the PGA Tour (Jay Monahan, Commissioner) and the PGA European Tour Group (Guy Kinnings, CEO),
In a statement, the PGA Tour said: "We respect today’s decision by the Official World Golf Ranking Governing Board and the considerable time the Board and Chairman Immelman committed to this process.”
Article Link: "This outcome is unprecedented" — LIV Golf unhappy as OWGR awards it reduced points - News - Irish Golf Desk