(Los Angeles) The organization responsible for ranking the world’s golf players, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), announced Tuesday that it was rejecting a request from the LIV Tour so that golfers who participate could earn prizes. points.
In an open letter published Tuesday, OWGR President Peter Dawson explained that he rejected LIV’s request because of its 54-hole, no-cut format and limited player access to its competitions.
This decision was taken unanimously by the seven members of the organization’s board of directors, said Mr. Dawson, according to whom there is no “fair and equitable” way to include players from the LIV circuit. in the OWGR rankings, published weekly.
“This is a purely technical question. The OWGR does not harbor any hostility towards the LIV,” assured Mr. Dawson, in statements reported by the American media.
“LIV players are obviously good enough to be ranked, there’s no doubt about that,” he continued. “It is a question of whether a circuit whose formats and qualifying criteria are so different can be classified fairly with other circuits which conform to the OWGR standards, and where there is more competition than in the closed shop that is the LIV,” he added.
Access to the rankings is a crucial step in the development of the Saudi-funded LIV, as it would give its players the opportunity to qualify for major tournaments.
The LIV circuit reacted with anger.
“A ranking that does not fairly represent all participants, regardless of where they play golf, deprives spectators, players and all golf stakeholders of the objective basis on which any accurate recognition of golf performance rests. best players in the world,” he denounced in a press release.
“Professional golf is now devoid of a real rating and world ranking system,” said the LIV.
In June, the American PGA Tour and European DP World Tour announced a merger plan with the LIV Series, supported by the powerful Saudi investment fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), and whose appearance in 2021 had shaken up the golf world. However, the details of this hypothetical agreement are slow to become clear.