Launched in 2022, LIV Golf has rarely been far from the news, usually in relation to big-name players making the move from the PGA Tour to its Saudi Arabia-backed rival. However, with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia seemingly tightening the purse strings, the high-profile additions to LIV Golf have slowed to a trickle.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the biggest news centred upon Brooks Koepka returning from LIV to the PGA Tour, and the switch from 54-hole to 72-hole tournaments. However, the most significant LIV Golf headline arrived on the eve of the season-opening event in Riyadh. After a four-year wait, LIV Golf has finally received recognition from the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). This represents a breakthrough moment for the tour and its players, but despite the positive step, some involved in LIV Golf believe the situation remains unfair.
Ranking Points, But Only for the Top 10 Players
LIV Golf first applied for OWGR recognition soon after the tour teed off in 2022. Having failed to achieve the result they desired, the tour organisers withdrew their application in March 2024. Returning to the OWGR in July 2025, their second application ultimately proved more successful.
Last week brought the announcement that LIV Golf tournaments would qualify for OWGR points with immediate effect. However, the points awarded on the LIV Tour will not quite match those handed out on other major tours, most notably the PGA Tour.
In a statement announcing their decision, the OWGR recognised that there are “a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out by OWGR”. The key areas the OWGR refers to are:
- Field Sizes – The average field size on the LIV tour in 2026 is 57, while OWGR standards expect a field of 75. As such, the OWGR places LIV Golf tournaments into the “Small Field Tournaments” category
- No Cut – LIV Golf events are played without a cut. This makes the OWGR’s practice of awarding points to all players who make the cut not practicable in LIV Golf
- Closed Shop Entry – The LIV Golf Tour is considered to be restrictive in its selection process. Most players are recruited and signed to contracts rather than earning a spot in the competition, while others qualify via LIV promotion tournaments
As a result of these discrepancies between LIV Golf and the other global tours, the OWGR has announced that only the top 10 finishers in a LIV Golf tournament (plus ties where relevant) will receive OWGR points.
LIV Golf Responds
Having campaigned for OWGR recognition for so long, this announcement can be viewed as a step in the right direction for LIV. However, the tour organisers aren’t entirely satisfied with the news. Responding to the OWGR announcement, a statement from LIV Golf noted that:
“a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th,”
And that this structure:
“disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold.”
LIV specifically questioned the classification of its events as “small field tournaments”, pointing out that the PGA events of the BMW Championship (49 players), Tour Championship (30 players), and Hero World Challenge (20 players) all have small fields and no cut but receive OWGR points for all participants.
For its part, the PGA Tour accepted the announcement with good grace, announcing in a statement that:
“We respect today’s decision by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) Governing Board and the considerable time the Board and Chairman Immelman committed to this process.”
A Route to the Majors
There can be no doubt that moving to LIV Golf has a dramatic effect on a player’s world ranking. Former world number one Jon Rahm had slipped to 93 at the end of the 2025 season, currently sitting at 67. Others to have fallen even further include Cameron Smith (227), Sergio Garcia (369), and Dustin Johnson (674).
| LIV Player | Current World Ranking |
|---|---|
| Tyrrell Hatton | 25 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 33 |
| Jon Rahm | 67 |
| Cameron Smith | 227 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 356 |
| Sergio García | 369 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 527 |
| Bubba Watson | 663 |
| Dustin Johnson | 674 |
| Martin Kaymer | 999 |
| Phil Mickelson | 1236 |
| Graeme McDowell | 1500 |
As recent major winners, Rahm, Smith, and Johnson are exempt from needing to qualify for some or all four of the majors. However, for the players on the LIV Golf Tour who have not won a major, i.e. most of them, this news presents a path to the four most prestigious tournaments on the calendar. Three of the four majors officially factor World Golf Rankings into their field selection:
- The Masters – The top 50 players in the OWGR one week before the tournament will receive an invite
- US Open – The top 60 players in the OWGR on 18 May receive an invite
- The Open – The top 50 players in the OWGR on 25 May receive an invite
Elvis Claims Points in Riyadh
Elvis Smyle, the 23-year-old rookie, was the first to earn maximum OWGR points on the LIV Golf Tour when winning the season-opening Riyadh tournament on his tour debut. This breakthrough success saw the talented Aussie move from 133 to 77 in the world rankings.
The first LIV Golf League players to receive OWGR points 💪@ElvisSmylie climbed from 133rd in the rankings to 77th 👏#LIVGolfAdelaide pic.twitter.com/6jUAcTfAF3
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 10, 2026
Commenting on his leap up the rankings, made possible by the OWGR recognition, Smylie said:
“It’s a by-product of the great work I’m doing with my team and the good golf that I’m playing. If I continue to do that, then all that stuff will take care of itself. But it’s definitely motivating for me to try to get into the Masters.”