Greg Norman has abandoned LIV Golf pursuit of official world ranking points

Among the battles Greg Norman has fought for his LIV Golf, losing the fight for world ranking points could prove a significant defeat.

LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman has given up on chasing world rankings points for his players. Picture: Francois Nel/Getty Images

Senior PGA tour players have conceded the official world ranking system is “broken” after LIV boss Greg Norman officially abandoned his pursuit for points to be awarded to players on his breakaway tour.

Entry to major championships for LIV golfers including new convert Lucas Herbert will rest solely on special invitations and exemptions of through qualifying after Norman’s move.

Having been denied an official request for his 54-hole, no-cut tournaments to be included, Norman, the LIV chief executive and commissioner, said continued dialogue had failed to move the Official World Golf Rankings body and the way forward was “not through the current ranking system”.

Among the rankings casualties are Aussie Cameron Smith who has slipped to No.50 in the world and last week declared that he “didn’t feel like the 44th best player in the world” but has resigned himself to a continued tumble down the list like so many of his LIV colleagues.

The Queenslander remains eligible for all four majors until 2027 courtesy of his British Open win in 2022, before he made the move to LIV, and he plays with seven Masters champions who have a lifetime exemption to play at Augusta.

Reigning Masters champ and recent world No.1, Jon Rahm, who has crossed to LIV this year, said he “didn’t think it was a good system” before he moved and the news only reinforced that in his mind, pointing to Joaquin Niemann’s two LIV wins this year on top of his Australian Open win last November, and his world ranking of 76, as proof.

“I didn’t think it was a good system back then, and if anything, the more time that goes on, the more it proves to be wrong,” Rahm said in Hong Kong ahead of LIV’s fourth event for the year.

“If anybody in this world, for example, doesn’t think Joaco deserves to be in the top 10 or doesn’t know that he’s a top player in the world, I don’t know what game you’re watching.

“I think anybody who watches golf can tell who the best players in the world are, and obviously I don’t think the ranking is reflective of that right now to its entirety.”

Laughable. LIV would have 2 players in the top 50 OWGR if you exclude recent signees! pic.twitter.com/9EeJOxaMRN

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) February 19, 2024

While Niemann has been given special invitations to the Masters and PFA for his efforts, most of the unexempt LIV players will be consigned to trying to qualify for the British Open and US Open after Norman opted to end his fight for the Saudi-backed league.

“It’s now clear that the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system,” Norman said in a letter to his players.

“A resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists.”

Patrick Cantlay, who sits on the PGA Tour policy board, conceded the rankings system had not adjusted to ongoing changes in the golf landscape.

“Ithink that there’s been so much uncertainty and change in the last couple years that it’s inevitable that things need to be updated or things need to be changed,” he said ahead of this week’s Bay Hill Invitational.

“I don’t know if we’ve worked through all the changes necessary compared to all the changes that have happened in the last couple years.”

Will Zalatoris said the “utopian goal” was to have all the best players at the Masters, noting Niemann shouldn’t have needed an invitation to play at Augusta.

“You see what Joaquin’s done this year, and he’s 73rd in the world,” he said.

“I’m not a guy who is on the policy board or involved with those rankings, but the guy’s played some really good golf.

“I know that that’s kind of the utopian goal for all of us right now is to have the best players in the world play week in, week out.”

LIV made adjustments to create more spots and a relegation system to help its cause, but Norman wrote “the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us”.

Only four LIV golfers are in this week’s world rankings top 50, led by third-ranked Rahm, the reigning Masters champion who made the switch last December, 17th-ranked Tyrrell Hatton, who made the jump in January, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who is ranked 30th and won last year’s PGA Championship, and 50th-ranked Smith.

Jeddah to Hong Kong 🇭🇰

We’re straight back at it this week 🙌#RipperGC#LIVGolfpic.twitter.com/BP8xQ0JBFu

— Ripper GC (@rippergc_) March 5, 2024

Norman said LIV players had been snubbed for so long that it would be difficult for them to be properly rated even if OWGR began assigning points now for LIV events.

“The rankings are structured to penalise anyone who has not played regularly on an ‘eligible tour’ with the field ratings disproportionately rewarding play on the PGA Tour,” Norman said.

“Even if LIV Golf events were immediately awarded points, the OWGR system is designed such that it would be functionally impossible for you to regain positions close to the summit of the ranking where so many of you belong.”