LIV Golf’s lack of recognition affects players’ eligibility for Olympics
LIV Golf, the breakaway league backed by Saudi Arabia, has been hosting events since June 2023, but without the approval of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system. This means that the players who have joined LIV Golf are not receiving any ranking points, which could affect their chances of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Olympic golf tournament is based on the world rankings, with the top 15 players automatically eligible and a maximum of four players per country. The rest of the field is filled by the highest-ranked players from countries that do not already have two golfers qualified.
LIV Golf has attracted some of the world’s top players, such as Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Cameron Smith, who have seen their rankings drop significantly since joining the rebel league. Smith, who won the Open Championship in July 2023, is currently ranked second in LIV Golf’s season standings, but has fallen outside the top 10 in the world.
Cameron Smith speaks out on Olympic hopes
Smith, who represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics and finished fourth, has expressed his concern about missing out on the Paris Games. He said he hopes that LIV Golf and OWGR can reach an agreement to grant ranking points to the rebel league’s events.
“We’re going to have to wait and see how everything unfolds. With the Olympics being next year I don’t know how much longer I will be able to hold onto that spot,” Smith told Channel Nine.
He added that he thinks it is unfair for LIV Golf players to be excluded from the majors and other tournaments that rely on the world rankings. “I think majors is about having the best guys in the best field on the best golf courses. Hopefully we can sort that out,” he said.
Smith also said that he believes LIV Golf has improved the quality and competitiveness of golf, and that he enjoys playing in the league. “It’s been a lot of fun. The courses are great, the competition is great, the format is great. It’s just a different way of playing golf,” he said.
Other LIV Golfers share Smith’s sentiments
Smith is not the only LIV Golfer who has voiced his opinion on the Olympic issue. Marc Leishman, another Australian who plays for LIV Golf, said that he thinks it could hurt the majors and other tournaments if some of the top players are not eligible to play.
“As far as the majors and all that go, I think it could potentially hurt them having some guys potentially miss out because they are not offered world ranking points here,” Leishman said.
Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion who joined LIV Golf in August 2023, said that he is praying that he can still play at Augusta National in April 2024. He said that he hopes that past champions will be allowed to compete regardless of their ranking status.
“It’s a weird situation, being a Masters champion,” Watson said. “Augusta, right now, we can play in it, and I’m hoping, and praying, that they make the right decisions and past champions [can play].”
“If they tell me that I can’t go, being a past champion, then I don’t want to be there anyway because that’s just the wrong way to look at it,” he added.
Gary Player criticizes LIV Golfers for making a fuss
However, not everyone is sympathetic to the plight of LIV Golfers. Gary Player, a nine-time major winner and one of the greatest golfers of all time, said that LIV Golfers should not expect to play in majors or other tournaments after leaving the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.
“Look, I don’t blame players for going on the LIV Tour,” Player told BBC 5 Live. “If you are going to join the LIV Tour, don’t make a big fuss about it! Everybody’s making such a big fuss! Let them go! If they want to go, they’re going.”
“But when they go, they’ve declared war on the PGA Tour. They must not expect to play Ryder Cup, and Presidents Cup, play in the majors and all those things. You can’t have your cake and eat it. That’s the bed you’ve chosen, that’s the bed you’ve got to lie in,” he added.
Player also said that he thinks LIV Golf is not good for golf as a sport, and that he prefers traditional tournaments over gimmicky formats. “I think it’s very sad for golf,” he said. “I think golf is about history and tradition and honour and integrity.”
