The inception of LIV Golf in 2022 brought about splits in the realm of the sport. But most importantly, critics heavily scrutinized them for having rules that go beyond the conventional format of the game. To begin with, instead of the 72-hole matches, the breakaway league holds its tournaments over three days, playing only 54-holes. Now this has made them deprived of a lot of official advantages for top players like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and others.

The LIV Golfers, for example, do not receive any Official World Golf Ranking points. They had sent over a petition, but it was rejected earlier this year. “This decision not to make them eligible is not political. It is entirely technical. LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They’re just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them,” said the CEO of R&A. However, the TUGR has supported the LIV Golfers.

Jeff Bullock – one of the co-founders of The Universal Golf Rankings, is often pitted against OWGR. He was among many critics who slammed the OWGR points statement. “There’s tons of LIV players that play against way more different competitors than a lot of PGA Tour players,” he said. This is because LIV Golf hosts tournaments worldwide, while the PGA Tour is primarily US-centric.

“The significant gap in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), especially between LIV players and those in other tours, is an issue that simply cannot be overlooked,” stated Jeff Bullock recently in the LIV Golf YouTube channel and explained that as the league started to gain momentum after its inaugural year in 2023. However, it became very clear that they needed to take action. This prompted them to actively support the league under Greg Norman’s leadership, recognizing the potential impact it could have on the future of professional golf.

While the TUGR has led to solving one problem for the Saudi-backed league, looks like the trail of obstacles has not yet stopped for them. Greg Norman has once again been put into hot waters after a recent announcement.

The PIF merger only focused on domestic investments

PIF, the financial backer of LIV Golf, has announced plans to reduce its overseas investments, according to a recent report. At the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Tuesday, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan stated that the $930 billion Saudi Sovereign Fund will focus more on domestic investments. This marks a significant shift from their previous strategy, which allocated 30% of total investments to overseas markets.

Now, the valuation of PIF has taken over the strategy of going through a shift, and they have been putting in more conditions before funding a project. This will end up affecting the amount of leeway the LIV Golf receives when it comes to splurging money on the golfing pros. Last December, Greg Norman spent almost half a billion on Jon Rahm. That kind of mega business transaction seems unlikely this year. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below!