LIV Golf, the upstart golf league, has taken a bold step in its ongoing battle for legitimacy. On Tuesday, they announced they are abandoning their efforts to gain accreditation from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and declared the current rankings inaccurate.
This move dramatically escalates the tension between LIV and the established golf world, represented by the OWGR and the PGA Tour.
LIV argues that the OWGR's refusal to award ranking points for their events unfairly penalizes their players. As a result, top stars like Phil Mickelson have plummeted down the rankings, hindering their ability to qualify for major championships like the Masters. Talor Gooch, a player who joined LIV and saw his ranking plummet from 35th to 476th, even went as far as to say that majors will be "asterisked" until the issue is resolved.
LIV contends that the OWGR system is biased and out-of-touch, holding onto outdated criteria that don't reflect the changing landscape of professional golf. They argue that the OWGR's insistence on "rigorous standards," including a minimum number of players per event, overlooks the quality of competition within their smaller, tightly curated fields.
LIV has further accused the OWGR of being beholden to the PGA Tour and the established golf establishment. They point to the presence of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on the OWGR board and the organization's concerns about LIV's unique format, which combines individual and team elements.
While abandoning the OWGR may seem like a setback, LIV sees it as an opportunity. They plan to work directly with major tournament organizers to create a path for their players to qualify independent of the OWGR. This could potentially involve negotiating entry based on past performance or establishing alternative qualifying criteria.
For now, the immediate impact on top LIV players like Jon Rahm, who holds a lifetime invitation to the Masters, is limited. However, others who rely on exemptions or past victories to qualify face a ticking clock as those exemptions expire.
LIV's decision is the latest salvo in a bitter feud with the PGA Tour and the established golf order. Their move further cements the existing divisions within the sport, raising questions and anxieties about the future of professional golf. Only time will tell how this conflict will be resolved and what impact it will ultimately have on the players and the game itself.
