LIV Golf has finally won the long-standing battle to earn Official World Golf Ranking Points.
But it doesn’t feel like a victory. LIV had to sell its soul to move from the 54-hole format that gave the tour its name to a 72-hole format and secure OWGR recognition.
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And even after earning points, some at LIV feel the tour doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Only top-10 finishes in LIV events earn OWGR points, but players such as Jon Rahm have criticized this.
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau said none of the league’s stars were happy because playing 72 holes wasn’t what he signed up for. Now, LIV CEO Scott O’Neill has weighed in on the decision and explained the influence the PGA Tour had on the decision.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Scott O’Neal reacts to OWGR’s LIV golf verdict
Speaking in front of LIV Adelaide, Mr O’Neill was asked about OWGR’s decision to only award points to top 10 finishes at LIV events.
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But instead of criticizing this move, he explained that this would not have been possible without the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, which allowed LIV to become eligible for points against their own interests.
“I’m so grateful to be officially welcomed into the golf family. That’s the most important thing,” said O’Neill. “It’s especially great to have a two-person board of directors, with the PGA Tour commissioner on the board and the CEO of the European Tour on the board.”
“Those two are probably going to be a little bit of a loss for us to be publicly recognized for people who have a scarcity mindset, so for us to be able to get to that point, what a huge nod to what LIV Golf has been building, what we’re building, and where we’re going in the future.
“They are led by chairman Trevor Immelman, a former Masters champion, a great South African player and their favorite son. He has been a great leader and champion in the face of considerable challenges and scrutiny, and I think he has done an exceptional job in holding the board together.”
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“However, for us, gaining world ranking points is great recognition and a huge step forward. Our focus is to ensure that our talented young players, established superstars and solid veterans are given the opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage, a Grand Slam tournament.”
Next, when asked if he would lobby for more athletes to earn points for each LIV event, O’Neill replied: “No.
“So, we’re just really publicly appreciating the situation that we’re in at this point.”
O’Neill is diplomatic and polite, and it’s clear that LIV has gotten this far because of the big names in golf. However, based on these final comments, it appears that negotiations are still far from complete.
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Impact of LIV changes on Bryson DeChambeau’s future
DeChambeau’s future is now a major storyline of the LIV season. His contract with the tour runs until the end of this season, and it was expected that he would have signed a new contract by now. However, as it stands, he will be a free agent in 2027.
His reaction to the change in format would have done nothing to calm O’Neill’s nerves. “It’s definitely changed from what we were originally told it would be,” the two-time major winner told Today’s Golfer.
He also told Mirror US: Because that’s what I was told would happen. It definitely made us think about it some different ways…
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“I have a contract for this year, so I’m going to go ahead and sign it there and see what happens after that. You know, it’s 72 holes and things have changed, but I’m still excited to play professionally and play for what we’re supposed to do and travel the world.”
“Hopefully as time goes on, it works in my favor, but you never know. I don’t know. We didn’t sign up to play 72.”
DeChambeau is probably worried about his hugely popular YouTube channel, which he puts a lot of effort into. I now have one day less time to shoot content, which I didn’t expect when I first signed with LIV.
It will be interesting to see what this year holds for him, as he has said he is willing to quit professional golf and pursue YouTube full time.
