Has The OWGR Become Obsolete?
The world rankings have come under fire since LIV Golf launched last June
The inception of LIV Golf has sparked controversy in the men’s professional game, not least of which has centred around the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Players on the breakaway circuit are officially suspended from the PGA Tour and effectively suspended from the DP World Tour, with the Sports Resolution UK decision to uphold Keith Pelley’s right to issue sanctions in the form of suspensions and fines forcing many to resign their membership.
That means LIV players’ only routes to ranking points are through the four Majors or on the Asian Tour, but therein lies another snag. The recent update aimed at creating a fairer, more merit-based system has left anyone effectively not a part of the PGA Tour feeding on scraps.
In its simplest form, the OWGR now rewards players for winning full-field events. Jon Rahm branded it "laughable" that the winner of the 2022 DP World Tour Championship - which featured seven of the world’s top 25 players - would receive less points than the victor of the PGA Tour’s concurrent RSM Classic, which had none of the top 25 in attendance.
He added: "Look, I understand what they are trying to do with the depth of field but having the best players in the world automatically makes the tournament better. I don't care what their system says. I think they’ve made a mistake. They have devalued the value of the better players.
"Would you rather win a tournament when you have the No. 1 player in the world or because you have the 30th? I think it's more valuable if you're beating the best players in the world. I think a lot of people would agree and it should reflect that."
So, even if the breakaway circuit does get what it has craved since launching, players such as Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka will still likely see their ranking drop, unless they perform consistently brilliantly in the Majors.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Phil Mickelson has been one of the OWGR’s fiercest critics, saying it has “lost any credibility” in an interview with Sports Illustrated, before getting into a heated Twitter exchange with analyst Colt Knost.
"It is the OWGR's job to rank ALL the players in the world," the left-hander wrote. "Maybe they can do THEIR job and figure it out like they do for multiple tours with hundreds of players not even close to as good. But that would hurt the PGA’s revenue from CBS so the leaders won’t."
With that in mind, we asked, essentially, whether you agreed or disagreed with Mickelson in a Twitter poll.
The result shows a small majority thinks the OWGR is no longer fit for purpose, which is understandable. After all, Koepka had fallen outside the top 100 before finishing in a tie for second at The Masters and winning the PGA Championship.
That being said, claims of a total loss of credibility still feel extreme. However, one thing that can’t be argued is that the current world rankings do not accurately reflect who the best golfers in the world are, and that’s a problem.
A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he decided to go freelance and now covers a variety of topics for Golf Monthly.
Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.
As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.
What's in Andy's bag?
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)
Irons: Mizuno mp32 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
-
First Ever LIV Team Playoff Sees Ripper GC Claim Dramatic Home Victory Over South Africans At LIV Golf Adelaide
The deep-rooted Australia v South Africa sporting rivalry continued with a thrilling set of extra holes at The Grange
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Billy Horschel Blames LIV Golf Supporters For Ongoing Divisiveness In Men's Pro Golf
Billy Horschel suggested that LIV Golf supporters are partially to blame for the current state of men's professional golf
By Ben Fleming Published
-
First Ever LIV Team Playoff Sees Ripper GC Claim Dramatic Home Victory Over South Africans At LIV Golf Adelaide
The deep-rooted Australia v South Africa sporting rivalry continued with a thrilling set of extra holes at The Grange
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'We're Not Going To Change Anything' - Rahm And Hatton Remain Eligible For Ryder Cup Selection Says New DP World Tour Boss
New DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings says Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton will remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection as long as they follow the current criteria already in place
By Paul Higham Published
-
Watch: Cameron Smith Followed Down 18 By Massive Crowd In Throwback Scenes At LIV Golf Adelaide
If anyone doubted The Australian's cult status Down Under, these pictures from LIV Golf Adelaide should clear it up...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Cameron Smith 'Putting Hand Up' For Fewer US-Based LIV Events And ‘More Of An International Schedule’ Moving Forward
The Ripper GC captain and his Australian teammates think the Saudi-funded series should target more international markets
By Andrew Wright Published
-
Jon Rahm Pinpoints ‘Key Difference’ That ‘Could Help A Lot Of Fans Trust In LIV'
The Spaniard believes a change of format could improve the perception of LIV Golf
By Andrew Wright Published
-
'We're A Fraternity' - Seve Stories Shared At Jon Rahm's 'Emotional' Masters Champions Dinner
Phil Mickelson was again quiet, Sandy Lyle couldn't make it and the Seve stories flowed as Jon Rahm hosted a successful Champions Dinner ahead of The Masters
By Paul Higham Last updated
-
Jon Rahm Reveals What He Misses About The PGA Tour Ahead Of Masters Defence
Rahm spoke about why he still "loves the PGA Tour", the pressure of LIV Golf events, and his legacy ahead of defending his Masters title this week
By Joel Kulasingham Published
-
'I Definitely Wouldn't Mind Going Back To 72 Holes' - Jon Rahm Calls On LIV To Make 'Helpful' Format Change
The current Masters champion suggested that increasing the number of holes in a week on the PIF-backed circuit could help with unification in the men's game
By Jonny Leighfield Published