LIV Golf Players Petition Official World Golf Ranking Chairman in Letter
Players competing in LIV Golf Invitational Series events sent a letter to the chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking seeking points that would be issued retroactively.
The letter was sent to Peter Dawson, former CEO of the R&A, who now heads the OWGR board which includes PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley.
“Your stewardship has ensured the Official World Golf Ranking status as one of the most respected institutions in sports,’’ said the letter that was signed by all 48 players who competed at the LIV Chicago event last week, as well as future player Bubba Watson and reserves. “As the athletes who are ranked, we depend on OWGR not just to qualify for the most important events, including the Majors and Olympics, but to tell us where we stand among our peers.
“Trust in the OWGR has been widespread and well-deserved. To maintain trust, we urge you—as one of the true statesmen of sports—to act appropriately to include, on a retroactive basis, the results of LIV Golf events in OWGR’s ranking calculations. An OWGR without LIV would be incomplete and inaccurate, the equivalent of leaving the Big 10 or the SEC out of the U.S. college football rankings, or leaving Belgium, Argentina, and England out of the FIFA rankings.’’
There are 23 worldwide tours that receive world ranking points, but many of them are small tours or developmental circuits. The system was never envisioned with a disruptor or competitor of LIV Golf’s impact, where prominent players such as Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson have defected.
An original group of 11 players, led by Mickelson and DeChambeau, sued the PGA Tour in August on antitrust grounds and that group has now dropped to seven players as LIV Golf also joined the lawsuit.
This week, CEO and commissioner Greg Norman is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C., to better sell the idea of the Saudi-backed enterprise that is bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund.
Among the issues that the OWGR would potentially have with LIV Golf it its 48-player fields, no cuts and lack of access to the circuit. LIV has aligned with the Asian Tour, which sponsored its application, and set up the International Series—a series of elevated events—on the Asian Tour as a place where there can be limited movement to and from LIV Golf.
The letter—sent last week—noted that Johnson has several high finishes in LIV events, even beating reigning British Open champion Cam Smith three weeks ago in Boston, but had dropped from 13th in the world to now 23rd.
“Over Labor Day weekend in Boston, he defeated 15 golfers who had finished either first or second in the four Majors, including the Champion Golfer of the Year for 2022,’’ the letter said. “For the rankings to be accurate, DJ deserves to move up, not down.’’
Sports Illustrated reported Friday that LIV Golf officials were becoming impatient with the process. While their application was submitted in July, and the process can take a year or more, LIV’s stance is seemingly that the stature of their players should fast-track the application and that they are not trying to prove whether or not they can operate financially. The backing of the Saudi PIF all but assures that.
And LIV Golf is concerned about conflicts of interest that exist with Monahan, Pelley and the major championships.
“The case for LIV’s inclusion is strong, but we have concerns that members of your Governing Board are conflicted and are keeping the OWGR from acting as it should,’’ the letter said. “Four of the eight members have connections to the PGA Tour, which unfortunately views LIV Golf as an antagonist.
“Other members of the Board have made unfairly harsh remarks about LIV, with one of them calling the organization 'not credible.' The current overwrought environment makes your own judgment crucial. In your athletic, business and golf management career you have won a stellar reputation for impartiality and integrity. Your work at the R&A and the OWGR shows you know how to combine tradition and innovation.’’
For now, the OWGR helps determine the fields at all four major championships and the Olympics. The Masters takes the top 50 at the end of the year and two weeks prior; the PGA—although not stated—typically fills its field by inviting the top 100 in the world; the U.S. Open has two top-60 cutoffs; and the British Open has a top-50 criteria eight weeks out.
Norman and other LIV officials have admitted they do not fulfill all of the 14 criteria for inclusion, but have also noted that OWGR guidelines suggest the organization can approve or deny any application regardless.