LIV Golf hits out despite being awarded world ranking points by OWGR amid ‘changing landscape’
In what it calls an “unprecedented” decision, LIV Golf will only see the top 10 finishers in world-ranked points-rated events.
The Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) board announced Tuesday its decision to award points to LIV players for the first time.
But the Saudi Arabian-funded team, which kicks off its fifth season in Riyadh this week, is unhappy with the limits on qualifying points for its 57-man field, while describing the news as a “long overdue moment of recognition”.
On all 24 other men’s professional golf tours that are part of the OWGR, all players who make the cut earn points.
LIV said in a statement that “this result is unprecedented,” adding that “no other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subject to such a restriction.”
“Under these rules, a player who finishes 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player who finishes 57th. Limiting points to only the top 10 finishers disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold.”
In a statement, the OWGR board said it would award points to LIV “to reflect the changing landscape of men’s professional football”.
But he added that points were limited to top-10 finishers due to “recognition that there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set by the OWGR.”
The size of a LIV field (57) is well below the 75 specified in the OWGR ranking criteria; The lack of interruption is also a contributing factor.
LIV is improving with each of the 14 events in 2026 being played over 72 holes, up from 54 in previous years.
“We expect this to be only the first step towards a structure that will fully and fairly serve players, fans and the future of the sport,” the LIV statement added.
“We entered this process in good faith and will continue to advocate for a ranking system that reflects performance rather than membership.
“The game deserves transparency. The fans deserve credibility. The players deserve a system that treats them equally.”
