‘So Much Uncertainty’: Patrick Cantlay Calls Action for LIV Golfers Suffering Under OWGR’s Suffocating Rules

Patrick Cantlay believes the golf world has moved rather quickly, and OWGR has failed to keep pace. Speaking at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the PGA Tour policy board member called for more introspection. Cantlay, however, was not willing to dub the system as ‘broken’ as many LIV golf Pros have maintained. 

“I think the World Rankings has a very particular set of criteria, and I don’t know if broken is the right word, but I think that there’s been so much uncertainty and change in the last couple years that it’s inevitable that things need to be updated or things need to be changed,” Bob Harig of the Sports Illustrated quoted the 31-year-old as saying. 

Interestingly, Cantlay earlier said that he has been in touch with LIV Golf officials but the format didn’t interest him. Regardless of his personal opinion about the upstart league, Cantlay believes that OWGR needs to go through some necessary overhauls. “I don’t know if we’ve worked through all the changes necessary, compared to all the changes that have happened in the last couple (of) years.”

LIV Golf has, meanwhile, withdrawn its OWGR request. Greg Norman, in a memo to its players, justified the decision by saying that the world ranking authority is unwilling to come on board with the PIF-funded side. OWGR denied LIV’s previous request for recognition citing a lack of pathways to the league, the team format, and the limited field events. 

LIV Golf has gone through certain changes, creating a Promotions event for new players to qualify for the season. Additionally, the Order of Merit also grants a pathway to the Saudi-backed side. Interestingly, the PGA Tour has also brought forth no-cut limited field Signature events that receive OWGR points. 

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Peter Dawson, the OWGR COO said in October that

there can be a system where LIV Golfers are allocated points as well. However, the Great White Shark wrote in the memo that, “the system is designed such that it would be functionally impossible for you to regain positions close to the summit of the ranking, where so many of you belong.” Cantlay’s peer Xander Schauffele seems to agree with the latter part.

Schauffele acknowledges the talent at LIV Golf

Schauffele acknowledged that the PIF-funded side has top players who have suffered disproportionately at the hands of OWGR. “But the LIV Tour definitely has really good players, and players that are in the top 10 or top 25 in the world, and there’s many of ’em. So, they’re just sort of unranked right now, but to me, I do believe they’re definitely top-ranked players in the world.”

Schauffele added further: “It seems that they haven’t met the criteria. I haven’t read too much of it, to be completely honest, but it seems that they’re not seeing sort of eye to eye on making an exemption to make LIV have World Ranking points.” In the last couple of years, OWGR has made some tweaks that haven’t found a universal backing. Only last year, the field rating of the RSM Classic in comparison to the DP World Tour Championship drew widespread ridicule even from some European pros. 

As of now only four players from LIV Golf is within the top 50 in the OWGR. Some of its biggest stars, like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson rank outside the top 100. Asked about his Major winning chances, LIV Golf Jeddah winner, Joaquin Niemann quipped, “How is that possible? I’m like 100th in the world?” Niemann is ranked 76th in the OWGR.

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