Cameron Smith's plunge set to spark fresh LIV Golf to bring normality to world ranking

Cameron Smith will start the Open this week outside the top 200 for the first time since 2016. And his dramatic rankings plunge could have far bigger ramifications for world golf.

Cameron Smith’s rankings plunge is back in the spotlight with the body which has excluded LIV Golf stars from accruing points examining how to reach a resolution for the Saudi-backed league.

Smith, who will start The Open at Royal Portrush this week outside the top 200 for the first time since 2016, has been one of a host of major-winning LIV stars whose official world ranking has descended to almost farcical levels.

The Official World Golf Ranking body, comprising representatives from the professional golf tours and majors, will hold a crucial meeting in Northern Ireland to discuss LIV’s latest fresh application for inclusion.

Sources at Royal Portrush indicated to News Corp the OWGR have put a renewed focus this week on LIV’s application to bring normality to the world rankings. LIV has not been officially recognised since its inception in 2022.

But a number of concerns will need to be addressed.

Cameron Smith will enter this year’s Open outside the top 200 for the first time in nine years. Picture: Getty

Chief among them will addressing longstanding issues surrounding the league’s promotion and relegation system, which saw Bubba Watson and Branden Grace returned to the LIV roster for 2025 despite finishing in last season’s relegation zone.

Their respective LIV teams said they were brought back to the roster because of “business cases” for their teams.

LIV is intent on ensuring any player which finished in its drop zone won’t have a spot in next year’s league unless they win their way back through a promotion event.

The other is LIV’s preference for golfers from the one franchise to play in the same group in the opening round of events, a move which has previously been frowned upon by the world rankings body.

If it was one obstacle which needed to be moved, it’s hard to see LIV standing in the way.

Asked would he abandon the format of playing with teammates to help the bid, Australian Marc Leishman said: “Definitely. As long as it’s a fair (resolution), it would be great. I don’t know if they can backdate it, but it would help.”

Australia's Cameron Smith watches his iron shot during practice ahead of the Open Championship. Picture: AFP

Said Smith: “I think it’s a good thing to have people ranked (properly). We need it. It’s obviously been a long time coming, but hopefully we can make progress to get that ranking back to where it needs to because it’s probably not where it needs to be at the moment.”

Greg Norman’s successor as LIV chief executive, Scott O’Neil, is at Royal Portrush for a series of key meetings while the 153rd Open Championship is played with his stars Smith, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau vying for the claret jug.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was quizzed on LIV’s latest application for world rankings acceptance in his pre-tournament press conference at The Open.

“I think having the ability to rank all the golfers in the world is really important,” Scheffler said.

“When you have guys always playing a different schedule, it can be very hard to rank player versus player.

“In terms of the world ranking points, I think the more often we can get the best players in the world playing together would be better, and that would only be better for the rankings as well.”

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler (R) thinks it is important to have an accurate world ranking system. Picture: Getty

The Open and US Open have softened the path for LIV Golf by offering a major spot for the highest-performing players on the season standings not already exempt this year.

The PGA Championship has also issued invites to well-credentialed LIV players.

But the main battle for O’Neil remains having his players protect their world ranking and get easier access to the majors.

Smith’s five-year exemption into the majors ends in 2027 after he won The Open at St Andrews.

Originally published as Cameron Smith's plunge set to spark fresh LIV Golf to bring normality to world ranking