Do LIV Golf Events Offer OWGR Points?

LIV Golf has begun its first 8-event Invitational Series and will host its third tournament in New Jersey on July 29! The main attraction of the event is the purse money and the appearance fee the Saudi-backed golf league offers its players.

While financial security is an important factor, OWGR points are a must if the players ever want to play in major tournaments. However, does the PGA and DP World Tours’ rival league offers their players the points to get a higher rank in professional golf? 

As of writing this article, the Invitational Series does not provide Official World Golf Ranking points to its players! Notably, the LIV Golf CEO and former world no. 1 golfer, Greg Norman, has recently applied to get validation from OWGR. 

Why do the LIV Golf players need OWGR accreditation? 

OWGR point is one of the factors that helps a professional golfer to play in the four major golf championships.

The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have suspended the players from attending their events for joining the league. Therefore, the league players wouldn’t be able to earn the OWGR points from any events, resulting in a huge fall in their World rankings. As a result, only the players who have already won the major titles would be able to be part of them because of their exemption status. 

Read more: A $54M Prize is Up For Grabs at LIV Golf Invitational Series

Notably, 20+ LIV players played at the 150th Open Championship at the home of golf recently. However, if the OWGR doesn’t validate the Saudi-backed league, many players, except the past major champions, wouldn’t be able to participate from next year. 

Is the Saudi-backed golf league eligible to get validation from the OWGR? 

According to rules, the OWGR will only accredit an event if it is sponsored by another member group. The PGA Tour and the DP World consider the LIV Golf league as their rival. However, the LIV Series is sponsored by the Asian Tour, making it eligible to apply for OWGR accreditation. 

Notably, the 54-hole format could become a reason for the league not to get validation from the OWGR. Furthermore, its Invitational aspect and limited field of 48 players could also become an issue. However, many PGA Tour events like the Sentry Tournament of Champions have lesser fields than the league. Yet, they are accredited by the OWGR. 

The Series meets most of the requirements for ranking points. Do you think the LIV Golf Invitational Series will receive their validation? What is your take on the entire LIV Golf series? Let us know in the comments down below.

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