LIV Golf members set to earn world ranking points in new ‘strategic alliance’ with MENA Tour

All LIV Golf members have joined the MENA Tour and will start earning World Ranking Points for playing these events starting this week; the first five events of the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series were played with no world ranking points offered

Members of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational series are set to be able to earn world ranking points under a new “strategic alliance” with the MENA Tour.

LIV Golf Invitational events will now be sanctioned by the MENA Tour – a third tier circuit launched in 2011 and recognized by the Official World Golf Rankings [OWGR] since 2016.

The alliance would qualify LIV Golf for OWGR points, beginning with the LIV Golf Thailand event at Stonehill from October 7-9.

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Branden Grace has defended his involvement in LIV Golf, saying it will only get ‘bigger and better’

The final course for LIV Golf Thailand, the opening event of the 2022/23 MENA Tour season, will be submitted to OWGR by the MENA Tour before play begins on Friday. The final field rating and winners’ points are expected to be confirmed, although the OWGR has yet to comment on the new partnership.

“It’s a very exciting day for the MENA Tour and our players,” said MENA Tour Commissioner David Spencer. “Thanks to this alliance, our players will now have better playing opportunities and stronger career paths. This is great news for the future of many young players on our circuit.”

The MENA Tour offers 54-hole events primarily in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, with the circuit providing players with a pathway to the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour.

“We are taking this mutually beneficial step to support the game developmentally and because of the importance and fairness of LIV golfers qualifying for OWGR points,” said Atul Khosla, President and COO. by LIV Golf.

“We are excited to create courses that provide more opportunities for young players, while providing fans with rankings that include all of the best golfers in the world.”

Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson will be among LIV Golf members now able to earn World Ranking Points

“A coup if LIV Golf succeeds – but ranking points will be minimal”

Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir:

“We should clarify that this is still subject to ratification by the OWGR Board. There are still hurdles to clear and this is by no means a formality, but if LIV has managed to do this, it’s a coup and you It’s a very clever loophole they found by going to bed with a tour already recognized by the OWGR.

“It will be minimum points if they are ratified because it is still 54 holes and a very small field of 48 players and according to the new OWGR specs it is not just the strength of the field but the depth of field Yes, they have very strong players in the LIV Golf series – Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann – but they also have weak players and only 48 players.

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Billy Horschel says players who join LIV Golf will have ‘some regrets’ and should understand there are ‘consequences’ to their decisions after players learn there will be no world ranking points issued in the tournament

“But ranking points make a huge difference. A number of players are free to play the majors for a certain period of time, but a lot of others aren’t and it might be their only way to get back into the majors by getting those crucial and valuable world ranking points.. Potentially, the players at LIV Golf and their commissioner Greg Norman are celebrating now.

LIV Golf: The Season So Far

The LIV Golf Invitational series has caused controversy in the golfing world since its launch this year, with the PGA Tour indefinitely suspending players who chose to participate in the breakaway circuit.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among the first wave of players to join the series, made up of 54-hole events limited to a 48-man field, along with Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Champion Golfer of the year Cameron Smith has all signed since.

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Phil Mickelson says divisive talk does golf no good and hopes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf can come together for the benefit of the game

The 48 players who competed in LIV Golf’s event outside of Chicago last month sent a joint letter to OWGR President Peter Dawson urging him to award ranking points to competitors, although that the application for their own world ranking status remains under consideration.

The first five events of the inaugural season went without World Ranking points, with Charl Schwartzel winning the opener in London, Branden Grace winning in Portland and Henrik Stenson triumphing in Bedminster, before Johnson and Smith picked up both victories following.

What future for LIV Golf?

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Open champion Cameron Smith said last month it was unfair that those who joined LIV Golf were not awarded world ranking points

The Royal Greens Golf Club – the site of the Saudi international in recent years – hosts the seventh event from October 14-16, with the season-ending team championship at Trump National Doral Miami from October 27-30.

The format changes in the Tag Team Championship, which is a four-day, four-round knockout tournament. The top four seeds automatically receive a bye to the first round, with the remaining eight teams playing against each other to see who reaches the quarter-finals.

The LIV Golf League will officially launch in 2023 with 48 players and 12 established team franchises competing in a 14-tournament schedule. Locations are yet to be confirmed, although events are expected in North and Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

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