LIV Golf Finally Secures World Ranking Points, Then Immediately Complains About The Ruling

LIV Golf has been fighting to be recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system since its inception in 2022. After having its application(s) for LIV players to receive points, and giving up on the process altogether in 2024, the Saudi-backed circuit finally received the news it had long been hoping for on Tuesday.

Or so we all thought.

The OWGR announced just after noon on the East Coast that its board had decided to award world ranking points to LIV Golf events for the 2026 season, but with a significant asterisk attached.

Points will only be given to Top 10 finishers (and ties) in LIV Golf’s individual stroke play events, with the OWGR stating "there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out by OWGR."

LIV Golf has OWGR points beginning in 2026. (Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The OWGR specifically noted that LIV's average field size of 57 players for 2026, versus the minimum of 75 set out in OWGR regulations, is one of the eligibility standards the circuit does not meet. 

LIV is moving from 54-hole events to 72-hole events in 2026, which undoubtedly helped its cause in acquiring OWGR points, but didn't completely hide the fact that tournament fields are quite small. The OWGR also noted the fact that LIV events have no cut and the pathway of earning a spot in tournaments isn't exactly in its best favor "with players being recruited rather than earning their place on the tour in many cases."

Just over an hour after the OWGR shared its announcement about LIV receiving ranking points, LIV issued a formal and public complaint.

"We acknowledge 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," LIV's statement read.

"However, this outcome is unprecedented. Under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th. Limiting points to only the top 10 finishers disproportionately harms 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 recognize.

"No other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subjected to such a restriction. We expect this is merely a first step toward a structure that fully and fairly serves the players, the fans, and the future of the sport."

Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, and Joaquin Niemann should have no problem earning OWGR points as they consistently finish inside the Top 10 each week on LIV. The statement from the circuit complaining of the OWGR ruling is LIV simply sticking up for players 11-57 on the leaderboard, but to moan about receiving points after nearly four full years of fighting for them seems like a counterproductive move.

This move is also coming from a league which has lost Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed in the span of a month, and the face of LIV in DeChambeau sounding less pleased with the circumstances every time he steps in front of a microphone.

LIV's 2026 campaign begins this week in Riyadh, with the winner set to earn a projected 23.1 OWGR points. For comparison, the winner of the WM Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour will receive 59.3 points.