The PGA Tour civil war could potentially be influenced by a significant boost in the OWGR rankings received by LIV Golf.
Accreditation from the Official World Golf Ranking has not been granted to LIV Golf yet, while another 54-hole circuit under Clutch Pro Tour has been approved for ranking points.
Thursday’s announcement of OWGR-sanctioning for the Clutch Pro Tour, a fellow 54-hole circuit, may have provided a much-needed boost to LIV Golf’s hopes for their Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Known as the Mizuno Next Gen Series, The Clutch Pro Tour serves as a development tour for professional golfers in England and offers a pathway to the Challenge Tour which is one level below DP World Tour. Despite its 54-hole format, OWGR has given it approval due to its 36-hole cut and avenues leading towards other tours.
The ranking system announced that the Tour had worked tirelessly for 17 months to meet the necessary criteria and become eligible for OWGR.
As of Week 17, concluding on April 28th,2024, The Clutch Pro Tour will be deemed an OWGR Eligible Golf Tour. Its official Tier 1 events shall meet the requirements set forth in accordance with OWGR regulations and subsequently qualify for ranking inclusion. Offering a route to its esteemed tournaments consisting of a 54-hole format complete with a cut at the conclusion of 36 holes – access may be obtained via their UAE based qualifying series throughout their forthcoming season or alternatively during annual open qualification school hosted starting from their planned schedule in the year of 2025 onwards.
The Clutch Pro Tour adheres to the established OWGR Eligibility and Format Criteria, offering chances for local and regional competitors to participate in an end-of-season Championship without cuts. The tour has become crucial in the United Kingdom following the shutdown of EuroPro Tour by creating avenues for players to develop their skills further towards European Challenge Tours or DP World Tours while maintaining playing opportunities.
The decision made by OWGR demonstrates that the 54-hole format will not be an obstacle for those responsible for the LIV setup if they decide to pursue ranking status. Nevertheless, their current challenges appear to revolve around events without a cut line and their promotion/relegation system as many refer to it as a “closed shop” league roster.
At the beginning of this year, the rebel group announced that they had abandoned their pursuit for ranking points. This decision was made after LIV CEO Greg Norman criticized the OWGR system in a letter addressed to his members. As per Sports Illustrated, Norman’s message stated: “We have worked tirelessly on your behalf and fought to ensure that your achievements are acknowledged within the current ranking framework.”
Norman continued to highlight the unwillingness of OWGR to cooperate thoughtfully with them, stating that their rankings are constructed in a way that penalizes those who do not play often on an “Eligible Tour,” and give unfair advantage only to players partaking in the PGA Tour.
Despite the prompt allocation of points to LIV Golf events, it would be practically unfeasible for players to reclaim their former high-ranking positions on the OWGR system, where numerous participants rightfully belong. This is evident from how names of LIV athletes have declined in position since they switched to Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2022.
Only Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk, who are both recent signings by the Saudi-backed series, qualified for this month’s Masters based on their world rankings. Out of all 13 LIV stars present at the first major tournament of the year, five less compared to last year attended.
