MENA Tour Chief Hits Back After OWGR Snub

MENA Tour Commissioner David Spencer has hit back after the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) refused to grant ranking points for the next two LIV Golf Invitational events.

An unlikely "strategic alliance" between LIV Golf and the developmental MENA Tour was announced earlier this week, and it gave bosses and players on the Saudi-funded circuit confidence they would be eligible to earn ranking points immediately. 

However, the OWGR, chaired by former R&A chief Peter Dawson, released a statement insisting that "insufficient notice" had been given to review LIV Golf's case before the next two events on the Greg Norman-fronted tour.

Spencer has taken umbrage with that decision, echoing previous comments made Norman that by "not including our event [LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok] in this week’s OWGR render the results and subsequent player movements inaccurate."

He also insisted that during conversations with the OWGR his understanding was that LIV Golf tournaments would be treated like any other on the MENA Tour, and sought to clarify the rules regarding "limited field tournaments and 54-hole tournaments" for his tour members. 

"We have had various communications with OWGR since submitting our 2022/23 schedule, MENA Tour handbook, exemption criteria and our field ahead of our opening event of our new season which tees off today," he added.

"None of this communication pointed towards any technical reason for the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok to be treated any differently to any MENA Tour event, every one of which has received OWGR since we were accepted into the OWGR framework in 2016.

"For absolute clarity, the OWGR itself defines a limited field tournament as a tournament which has less than 30 qualified players. Furthermore, the MENA Tour has always had the OWGR’s blessing to stage 54-hole tournaments."

Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Richard Bland and Branden Grace are tied for the lead on seven-under after round one of LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok.

MENA Tour statement in full

We have had various communications with OWGR since submitting our 2022/23 schedule, MENA Tour handbook, exemption criteria and our field ahead of our opening event of our new season which tees off today. 

None of this communication pointed towards any technical reason for the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok to be treated any differently to any MENA Tour event, every one of which has received OWGR since we were accepted into the OWGR framework in 2016. 

For absolute clarity, the OWGR itself defines a limited field tournament as a tournament which has less than 30 qualified players. Furthermore, the MENA Tour has always had the OWGR’s blessing to stage 54- hole tournaments. 

The OWGR states: “The primary objective of the Ranking is to maintain, review, update, administer and promote the recognition of a system that fairly ranks the relative performance of golfers participating in the leading men’s professional tournaments throughout the world”. 

Clearly, the MENA Tour’s first event of the 2022/23 season, the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok, is one of those tournaments and accordingly should be included in this week’s OWGR events. Not including our event in this week’s OWGR render the results and subsequent player movements inaccurate. 

As per the OWGR Guidelines , we will be lodging our field for the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah prior to the deadline of October 12th. I also want to wish our 48 MENA Tour Members who are teeing off in Bangkok this morning all the very best for our first tournament of the 2022/23 season and assure all of our Members that we will continue to work tirelessly to resolve this situation with the OWGR. 

The MENA Tour’s guiding principle of maximising playing opportunities and pathways for our Members and growing the great game of golf remains unchanged.