Charles Howell III Back In World's Top 50 (Sort Of) After LIV Win

American Charles Howell III fell 11 places in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to stand at World No.312 following his LIV Golf Mayakoba win. That served as a stark reminder that even with the riches on offer on the circuit, one of the biggest costs of playing on it is the inability to secure the points.

However, if he was feeling hard done by at his latest tumble down the rankings, he can take some solace from the updated alternative world rankings compiled by Sports Illustrated.

That’s because he’s shot into the top 50 of its list following his El Camaleon Golf Club win. Unlike the OWGR, the Sports Illustrated World Golf Rankings (SIWGR) factors in LIV Golf, and in the newly updated list, Howell III now stands at World No.48.

As well as including LIV Golf tournaments in its calculations, the SIWGR also considers player performances over the last 12 months as opposed to the OWGR's 24-month approach, while it calculates strength-of-field and course difficulty too. Whatever the best methodology, the ranking at least offers some acknowledgment of the achievements of LIV Golf players in its 14 tournaments.

Another LIV Golf player enjoying a rise in the latest rankings is Anirban Lahiri, who is up three places to 39th despite a subdued performance in Mexico, where he finished tied for 32nd. In the OWGR, the outlook is not nearly as bright for Lahiri, who dropped a place last week to stand at World No.100 and leave him in real danger of failing to qualify for the PGA Championship.

Elsewhere, Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann finished tied for 11th in the tournament and rises to World No.20 on the SIWGR, which is comparable to his OWGR status of World No.23.

Away from LIV Golf, Chris Kirk, who defeated rookie Eric Cole in a playoff to win the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic has risen seven places to take the SIWGR’s World No.24 position. The top 10 remains unchanged, with Jon Rahm at World No.1.

The most eye-catching entry, though, is surely Howell III’s, who didn’t even feature in the top 100 the week before. While the SIWGR remains unofficial and so purely informative, it is surely something LIV Golf officials will keep a close eye on as they continue working to secure OWGR eligibility. Indeed, the ranking was even a subject of discussion during the commentary for the Mexico event, so it's highly likely it's already on the radar of LIV officials. 

Whether the ranking will prove important in that aim remains unclear, but at least for the time being, it offers some recognition of the merits of its players' performances, as evidenced by Howell III.