LIV Golf formally withdraws bid to get Official Golf World Ranking status on eve of Hong Kong event
- League’s CEO Greg Norman tells players ‘resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists’
- Norman calls for independent system and says LIV will work to get players spots in major championships
LIV Golf formally withdrew its application for Official World Ranking Points accreditation on Tuesday, in a decision CEO Greg Norman said was “not taken lightly”.
In a letter to players, seen by the Post, Norman said the decision had been made following consultation with the league’s board, and after 18 months of trying it was clear “the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system”.
The league has been working to get ranking points for its tournaments since its inception, but has consistently run into obstacles and had its request formally turned down last year, with a lack of player pathways given as one example of where it was believed to be falling short.
That has left the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann, who has won two of the first three LIV events of the season, outside the world top 50.
Only Jon Rahm (3), Tyrrell Hatton (17), Brooks Kopeka (30) and Cam Smith (45) are in a list otherwise dominated by those on the PGA Tour, and Norman said the decision would remove “any ambiguity about its [the OWGR] relevance”.
Niemann’s absence seems especially questionable given his performances so far, which included winning the Australian Open, a triumph that earned him a spot at the Open Championship and invites to the Masters and PGA Championship.
