LIV Golf League: Jon Rahm questions limited world ranking points on offer and explains why OWGR rule ‘doesn’t seem fair’ | golf news
John Rahm welcomed LIV Golf League events finally being awarded world ranking points, but he believes “work needs to be done” to address a ruling that “doesn’t seem fair.”
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) confirmed on Tuesday that it will recognise LIV Golf for the first time, ahead of its fifth season starting this week in Saudi Arabia, although only the top 10 finishers in its event will be awarded world ranking points.
LIV Golf described the announcement as a “long overdue moment of recognition” but said it “disproportionately hurts players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold,”, with those finishing 11th or worse in the 57-man field yet to earn any points.
The OWGR said there are “many areas” where LIV Golf does not meet qualifying standards, despite expanding events to 72 holes and changing them to relegation, although it is issuing ranking points “in an effort to reflect the changing landscape of the men’s professional game”.
“It’s great that we’re being recognised in a way,” Rahm said after his opening round in Riyadh. “With that being said, I prefer that we are treated the same on every tour.
“It seems the rules that are in place don’t really apply to us; only 10 of us got points. It doesn’t seem fair. All year round there are smaller fields; their players get full points.
“There is some work to be done. While this is good for some people, it may cause some players to lose world ranking points rather than gain them because 11th place is essentially a missed cut, and we are already adding to the divider.
“But I’m grateful to say that LIV Golf has got their foot in the door, and there’s potential for us to walk into the room and be recognised as a tour, as we should be.”
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Rahm’s views were echoed by former Ryder Cup stars Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter, who both questioned the ranking points being limited to such a small percentage of the LIV Golf line-up.
Poulter expressed a range of opinions on Wednesday. “I think first and foremost, it’s good to finally have LIV recognised. After all these years, we should get points, so that’s a huge plus.
“On the flip side, I’m not sure about the algorithm they used to figure out the points.”
Kaymer added, “On the one hand, it’s great that we’ve tapped and we now have a chance to get world ranking points. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I think it’s a positive move.
“On the other hand, it would have been better if more players had more world ranking points. Being 11th to 15th in some events is a great effort; it’s a good achievement, yet it gives you zero points. That’s the downside.
“I think we should focus on the positive – this achievement is a step in the right direction and let’s see where we can go from here.”
Full statement on LIV Golf in the World Ranking Update
LIV Golf’s full statement, issued Tuesday after the OWGR announced its update, said: “The stated mission of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) is ‘to administer and publish a transparent, credible, and accurate ranking based on the relative performance of players participating on the men’s qualifying golf tour worldwide.’
“We recognise this long overdue moment of recognition, which affirms the fundamental principle that performance on the course should matter, regardless of where the competition takes place.
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“However, this result is unprecedented. Under these rules, a player who finishes 11th in an LIV golf event is treated the same as a player who finishes 57th.
“Limiting points to only the top 10 finishers hurts players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold, as well as emerging talent working to establish themselves on the world stage – precisely the players a fair and meritocratic ranking system is designed to recognise.
“In OWGR history, no other competitive tour or league has faced such restrictions. We hope this is the first step toward a structure that fully and fairly serves players, fans, and the future of the game.
“We entered into this process in good faith and will continue to advocate for a ranking system that reflects performance over affiliation. The game deserves transparency. Fans deserve credibility. And players deserve a system that treats them equally.”
