LIV Golf’s status in the Official World Golf Ranking was one of the most important questions it faced in 2023.
Access to the major championships is dependent on a player’s OWGR standing. LIV Golf events do not currently receive OWGR points. The circuit applied for the championship in July 2022. They are currently awaiting word from the circuit as part of an application process which can take up to a year.
After a 16-month process, the OWGR released a statement stating that a Mexican tour featuring 54-hole events would begin to earn OWGR points in 2023. The tour also included a 36-hole cut as well as open qualifying. LIV events remain 54-holes, but the league will introduce a promotion and (somewhat?) relegation element in order to fill out its teams for 2024. This will allow for a few spots via qualifying.
LIV thinks its events merit points, regardless of format or criteria. It formed a “strategic alliance” with the developmental MENA Tour to try and force the OWGR to accept it.
LIV players have seen their ranking plummet since they joined the league founded by Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. This has put them at risk of losing their major championships.
Here are the 48 players that will be on a team roster for 2023. We also show how their OWGR has changed since joining LIV Golf.
LIV Golf OWGR movement
Player |
OWGR prior to first LIV event |
Current OWGR |
Ranking Change |
Cameron Smith | 2 | 5 | -3 |
Dustin Johnson | 15 | 62 | -47 |
Joaquin Niemann | 19 | 26 | -7 |
Brooks Koepka | 19 | 102 | -83 |
Abraham Ancer | 22 | 30 | -8 |
Louis Oosthuizen | 21 | 100 | -79 |
Paul Casey | 31 | 94 | -63 |
Bryson deChambeau | 31 | 131 | -100 |
Kevin Na | 34 | 84 | -50 |
Talor Gooch | 35 | 49 | -14 |
Thomas Pieters | 35 | 42 | -7 |
Jason Kokrak | 36 | 74 | -38 |
Patrick Reed | 39 | 65 | -26 |
Harold Varner III | 46 | 51 | -5 |
Mito Pereira | 50 | 50 | 0 |
Cameron Tringale | 55 | 86 | -31 |
Sergio Garcia | 57 | 144 | -87 |
Dean Burmester | 59 | 71 | -12 |
Marc Leishman | 62 | 95 | -33 |
Richard Bland | 67 | 107 | -40 |
Matt Jones | 69 | 129 | -60 |
Phil Mickelson | 72 | 352 | -280 |
Scott Vincent | 91 | 117 | -26 |
Matthew Wolff | 77 | 181 | -104 |
Lee Westwood | 78 | 267 | -189 |
Bubba Watson | 86 | 201 | -115 |
Sam Horsfield | 74 | 134 | -60 |
Anirban Lahiri | 92 | 99 | -7 |
Ian Poulter | 92 | 150 | -58 |
Bernd Wiesberger | 94 | 149 | -55 |
Sebastian Munoz | 98 | 106 | -8 |
Brendan Steele | 122 | 119 | +3 |
Branden Grace | 123 | 221 | -98 |
Charl Schwartzel | 126 | 197 | -71 |
Carlos Ortiz | 119 | 270 | -151 |
Sihwan Kim | 139 | 238 | -99 |
Pat Perez | 170 | 239 | -69 |
Henrik Stenson | 173 | 175 | -2 |
Charles Howell | 169 | 318 | -149 |
Martin Kaymer | 215 | 625 | -410 |
Jediah Morgan | 239 | 368 | -129 |
Danny Lee | 267 | 268 | -1 |
Peter Uihlein | 327 | 411 | -84 |
Graeme McDowell | 374 | 399 | -25 |
Chase Koepka | 1562 | 1331 | +231 |
James Piot | 1751 | 1155 | +596 |
David Puig | 1751 | 1057 | +694 |
Eugenio Chacarra | 1904 | 1732 | +172 |
All 48 roster players have fallen in the rankings, except six. Mito Pereira, who made their LIV starts in Mexico last month has not seen his ranking change, while Brendan Steele, a newcomer, rose three spots. A trio of second-year professional golfers – Eugeniochacarra (No. 1,732), James Piot(No. 1,732), James Piot (No. 1,057) – All three have risen more than 100 places due to a small number of tournaments and a few starts on the Asian Tour. Chase Koepka struggled throughout his pro career before LIV. His ranking has risen 231 spots, but he still ranks No. 1,331.
Martin Kaymer, who has been plagued by injuries in the past year, has seen the greatest drop of 410 places on the rankings. He now sits at No. 625. Phil Mickelson is No.1 in LIV Golf and has dropped 280 spots. 352.
Only six players remain in the top 50: Cameron Smith, No. 5), Joaquin Niemann (No. 26), Abraham Ancer, (No. 30), Thomas Pieters (No. 42), Talor Gooch (No. 42), Talor Gooch (No. 50).
This week, the LIV Golf League returns in action in Marana (Arizona) at the Gallery Golf Club, LIV Golf Tucson. It’s the first US event of the season.
By: Adam Woodard
Title: Just how far have LIV Golf players fallen in the Official World Golf Ranking?
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/03/14/liv-golf-news-owgr-ranking-points/
Published Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:00:17 +0000
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