LIV Golf’s attempt to be recognised by the sport’s global rankings body has been rejected.
Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) turned down the Saudi Arabia-backed series’ request because of concerns about the circuit’s format.
OWGR chairman Peter Dawson said the 54-hole, no-cut events for 48 players was an issue, along with limited access for players to join the venture.
However, he said it could be managed through a “mathematical formula”.
Dawson said in a letter sent on Tuesday to LIV Golf’s chief executive Greg Norman and chief operating officer Gary Davidson that “at this time” it would not be recognised as an eligible golf tour in the OWGR system.
The bigger concern, according to the letter, is the limited access for players to join LIV Golf which, barring injury, features the same 48 players all season.
The letter also said that LIV informed the OWGR in July that 14 players will be invited back next season regardless of their performance, more than double the number originally indicated to the rankings body.
“Simply put, the board committee does not believe it is equitable to thousands of players who strive every day to get starts in OWGR eligible tournaments to have a tour operate in this mostly closed fashion,” Dawson wrote.
LIV Golf responded by issuing a statement claiming professional golf is “now without a true or global scoring and ranking system”.
“OWGR’s sole objective is to rank the best players across the globe. Today’s communication makes clear that it can no longer deliver on that objective,” it added.
“A ranking which fails to fairly represent all participants, irrespective of where in the world they play golf, robs fans, players and all of golf’s stakeholders of the objective basis underpinning any accurate recognition of the world’s best player performances.”
