The LIV Golf League has officially withdrawn its application for acceptance into the Official World Golf Rankings, according to a post on X.com (formerly Twitter) by LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman.
Beginning its third season, and second full campaign, the LIV Golf League initially applied for OWGR accreditation in July 2022. Nearly two years later, in March 2024, the breakaway league’s effort is officially over.
“It is now clear that the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system,” Norman wrote in a letter to players.
“A resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility, and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists. We have made enormous efforts to fight for you and to ensure your accomplishments are recognized within the existing ranking system.
“Unfortunately, the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us.”
For two years, LIV Golf fields have featured many of the world’s greatest players, and its biggest names, including major-winning superstars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka, among others. The fields also feature marquee players who were ranked inside the OWGR’s top 50 before joining LIV, such as Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Sergio Garcia, Adrian Meronk, Matt Jones, Mito Pereira, Talor Gooch, Paul Casey, Patrick Reed, Jason Kokrak, Abraham Ancer, and Matthew Wolff.
The OWGR slow walked LIV Golf’s application for over a year, finally denying on Oct. 23, 2023. In its denial letter, the OWGR cite LIV Golf’s 54-hole format, and closed fields. Yet, just months later, the OWGR awarded Wyndham Clark 71 points for his rain-shortened 54-hole win at Pebble Beach which included a closed field.
The world rankings of LIV Golf stars has become a hot topic of discussion on social media with many regular mocking and memeing the OWGR’s ranking of players like Dustin Johnson (No. 266) and Bryson DeChambeau (No. 182) who currently have better odds to win the Masters than Max Homa and Brian Harman, both top-10 ranked players according to the OWGR.
According to Norman, the delay in approval has so badly damaged the world rankings of its marquee players, that if they were awarded points immediately, even starting with this weekend’s Hong Kong event, it would be impossible for LIV players to move back into the world top 50 to qualify for majors.
“The rankings are structured to penalize anyone who has not played regularly on an ‘Eligible Tour’ with the field ratings disproportionately rewarding play on the PGA Tour,” Norman wrote in the letter to LIV Golf players.
“Even if LIV Golf events were immediately awarded points, the OWGR system is designed such that it would be functionally impossible for you to regain positions close to the summit of the ranking, where so many of you were prior to joining LIV, and deserve to remain based on your performance.”
??❌ JUST IN: In a letter sent to players this week, LIV CEO Greg Norman says they will no longer pursue OWGR eligibility: “A resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists…. We have made significant efforts to fight for… pic.twitter.com/0nKs6NTxJO
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) March 5, 2024
