OWGR denies LIV Golf: Five thoughts as Saudi-backed league loses out on bid for world rankings points

The Official World Golf Rankings board doled out a call to LIV Golf previous this week that it might no longer obtain OWGR points all over its long term tournaments. This used to be a blow to a league that were ready over a yr to listen to again from the group, and it reshaped the way in which LIV thinks concerning the long term and maybe even the way in which primary championship fields are built.

There isn’t any simplistic technique to imagine the 2 entities in combination. The implications of this determination contact just about the whole lot within the golfing world and, oh yeah, would possibly also be rendered moot if the framework deal between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is going thru. 

You will see — and most definitely have already got noticed — a large number of information from plenty of events referring to this determination. The plethora of angles from which you’ll be able to come at is fantastic and borderline overwhelming. And whilst I’m no longer certain there is a thru line to be present in all of this, I do have a large number of thoughts about what it way for the way forward for skilled golfing. Let’s get to them.

1. Closed loop

The number one factor the OWGR has with LIV isn’t that it’s performed over 54 holes or that this is a workforce match or that it does no longer have a minimize and even that its fields are fairly small (beneath 50 avid gamers). No, the main factor the OWGR has with LIV is that it’s inconceivable for some avid gamers — those with long-term contracts like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson — to fall out of the league. While there’s technically relegation (there shall be 4 new golfers within the league in 2024), it’s selective relegation, that means that regardless of how unhealthy a few of the ones high-profile avid gamers are they are going to by no means no longer be within the league.

This is sensible as a result of none of them would have agreed to play the LIV Golf circuit if no longer for the promises. But it is usually good for the OWGR to take a look at that construction and render it illegitimate in comparison to all of the different golfing leagues it governs. The OWGR would no longer be measuring equitable entities, which is certainly one of its said intentions. 

2. Antiquated machine

One of the topics you’ll pay attention from LIV avid gamers is that the OWGR will have to now be regarded as an old-fashioned machine. While I disagree with their confrontation, there’s some legitimacy to this declare. Bryson DeChambeau is ranked out of doors the highest 100 within the OWGR and no one within the world thinks he is the rest rather than a most sensible 100 golfer within the world presently. There are mathematical answers for this, in fact. Data Golf ranks all golfers primarily based on their strokes received numbers (roughly how just right they’re at scoring in comparison to their friends). DeChambeau ranks within the most sensible 30 in that metric, which is extra cheap. 

What we’re witnessing is actually a line of demarcation for what a few of these programs are. The OWGR, to me, is now a governing frame of varieties, making sure that each one leagues are created (most commonly) equivalent, whilst Data Golf is now where to move for natural “who is the best golfer in the world” rankings. This isn’t unhealthy. It’s simply other than it has ever been sooner than.

3. Why is LIV inequitable

There is an issue floating round — and in truth proposed by way of various sensible other folks — that it’s not the process of more than a few golfing leagues to cater to the OWGR however fairly the process of the OWGR to easily measure the most efficient avid gamers. Again, this isn’t unreasonable. However, as discussed above, it has turn into transparent that the OWGR’s number one process is to make sure that leagues which contains avid gamers it ranks should comply to a suite of requirements with which LIV is unwilling to conform. 

To pressure house why it is perhaps no longer nice that LIV is a closed loop, imagine the next state of affairs: What if LIV presented me, say, a $50 million contract to play golfing, and what if I agreed to that contract? All of a unexpected, I, with 0 talent as a certified golfer, would have get entry to to OWGR points (and thus primary championship standing) simply because LIV sought after me of their league. Whether you trust this philosophically nearly does no longer subject. What issues is how essentially other that is from each different golfing league that has avid gamers which the OWGR ranks.

4. What will the most important championships do? 

This is an engaging query that I’ve been making an allowance for so much. The individuals who voted on this — the PGA Tour and DP World Tour recused themselves — are the similar individuals who run the most important championships. The OWGR board is made up of representatives from the 4 primary championship organizations, each giant excursions and one from the International Federation of PGA Tours.

So, in concept, the ones organizations are boxing LIV golfers out of the majors. In truth, even though, it’s nearly plain that every particular person primary box may not be consultant of the most efficient avid gamers within the world. The OWGR chairman, Peter Dawson, even known as out Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson by way of identify as probably the most very best avid gamers within the world, placing the load again on LIV to conform. The primary organizations may just theoretically trade their standards — this occurs at all times — to incorporate, say, the highest 5 avid gamers from LIV. This would make sure that those occasions nonetheless have all of the very best avid gamers. This could be a little atypical making an allowance for they might have simply voted them in by the use of the OWGR, however it is one thing to observe going ahead.

5. Won’t this no longer subject in a couple of months anyway?

Again, in concept (all of that is theoretical, it sort of feels), none of this even issues. The PGA Tour is in line to merge with the Public Investment Fund, and it sort of feels as if the whole lot will ultimately come again beneath the similar roof. In that case, it is simple to peer the trail for avid gamers like DeChambeau and D.J. receiving OWGR points once more (relying on how their contracts play out and the way LIV performs out). However, the Tour’s take care of the PIF remains to be within the framework level and may just simply fall aside. If that does occur and LIV doubles down on its efforts to shape a brand new golfing league, then all of sudden those points subject greater than ever. If that is the case, the Tour could be able of power as no OWGR points would dissuade avid gamers from switching excursions.

There are patently a large number of shifting portions right here and a large number of other ways all of this might probably play out. But, for now, it is a blow to a league that can have used some just right news as leverage if the deal between the Tour and the PIF does no longer get finished.