Justin Thomas Says LIV Golf Players To Blame For World Ranking Points Issue

Justin Thomas says LIV Golf players only have themselves to blame for signing up to a venture that doesn't offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

The two-time Major winner, who tees it up for the USA team in this week’s Presidents Cup, explained that he thinks LIV Golf players knew there would be consequences for signing up for the Saudi-backed venture – including the fact it doesn’t offer OWGR points. He said: “I don't understand. It's very obvious and written right there in front of them. They just naturally want what's best for them, just like the decision they made to go there. I totally understand. Hey, if I was doing the same situation, I would want it, but that doesn't necessarily make it right.” 

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Fifty LIV Golf players have signed a letter to OWGR chairman Peter Dawson urging a decision with their eligibility for future Majors on the line without the points. However, that plea didn’t cut any ice with Thomas, who insisted the fault for the issue is with them. He said: “The governing bodies have created a system for a reason, and that's to try to create the best system possible to determine the best players in the world.

"Now, yeah, is it going to be skewed because some of the top players aren't going to be in there? Yes. But that's their own fault for making the decision they made, and they knew very, very well going into it there's a good chance they won't have World Ranking points, and they took that risk. In my opinion, that's their own fault.”

Thomas’ comments are similar to his Presidents Cup teammate, Billy Horschel, who said: "I've been consistent about this for four or five months now. All of those guys knew, when they left the PGA Tour, there was a good chance they may not get World Ranking Points anymore."

Meanwhile, Max Homa, another of Thomas' USA team colleagues, also weighed in on the LIV World Ranking points issue with a more forgiving stance, saying: "I hope for them that it does go through and they get World Ranking points. It seems like if 48 great golfers play in tournament, week in and week out, to my eye, should get points.” However, like Thomas, Homa also stated that the decision should be down to the OWGR. He said: “I think it's up to the OWGR. I don't think it's up to an opinion.”

Some LIV Golf players caused controversy by playing in the recent BMW PGA Championship, with Horschel and Jon Rahm both accusing them of being motivated by OWGR points rather than any affinity for the DP World Tour. Meanwhile, LIV Golf player Patrick Reed is in the field for this week’s Open de France as he aims to stay in the world’s top 50 as an increasingly pressing situation remains unresolved.