As for LIV Golf, they have been lobbying furiously behind the scenes to earn re-admittance to the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). That’s almost two years after they first applied and were turned down. The PSI organization has 54 players and operates 13 four-man teams! Just as it was quick to tout the achievement of its competitors drawing attention in the booming world of professional golf.
Yet, at the beginning of October 2023, at least two members of the OWGR board denied LIV Golf’s first application. The artists voiced significant issues with the tour’s organization. The OWGR recently announced that it was unable to fairly evaluate LIV Golf in comparison to the other tours. Second, they know that LIV’s closed shop format and team-based scoring system is necessarily going to undermine the sanctity of individual competition.
Earlier this month, the OWGR released a statement praising LIV Golf for wanting to make a positive impact on professional golf.
“We appreciate the interest of LIV Golf — and all the tours — in contributing to the global landscape of men’s professional golf through OWGR,” – OWGR
LIV Golf’s new application comes at a time when the fairness, integrity, and transparency of rankings continues to be passionately debated. The OWGR board is committed to ensuring all applications are carefully considered. They will approve or deny LIV’s submission according to the criteria they’ve laid out.
“The OWGR Board is committed to a thorough evaluation process of all applications, and LIV’s application will be reviewed in accordance with OWGR’s criteria to ensure fairness, integrity and consistency,” – OWGR
This year’s U.S. Open and Open championships took a serious step in the right direction. They added new categories for best players coming over from LIV Golf, accepting many of the players from that Saudi-funded rival circuit.
LIV Golf has built a stable line-up for its upcoming season. They can’t use alternates except in case of an injury. Plus, the tour has two wild cards to work with, creating more flexibility within its player composition.
Scott O’Neil recently took over as CEO of LIV Golf, succeeding Greg Norman as the organization seeks to reshape its image and strengthen its case for inclusion in the official rankings. Next week, the OWGR board will have their annual meeting during the Open. From there, they’ll explore reviews and claims on LIV Golf’s filing.
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