The Saudi International moves into its fifth year for 2023, with a number of huge names participating in the event that is sponsored by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund – the same organisation that bankrolls LIV Golf.
Currently, LIV Golf is without Official World Golf Ranking Points, something which is hurting its many stars but, because the Saudi International is the first tournament of the Asian Tour season, it means that players will be able to claim OWGR points towards their position.
LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman and Asian Tour CEO, Cho Minn Thant chat during the 2023 Saudi International
However, the subject of OWGR points has been a huge talking point since a new system was put in place in September 2022, with multiple players, including the likes of Tiger Woods, calling the system "flawed."
Now, in an interview with Golf, by TourMiss, the Asian Tour's Commissioner, Cho Minn Thant, has given his thoughts on the OWGR system, with his tournament offering less World Ranking Points (24) than that at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (37.4).
“As you know I’m on the Official Golf World Ranking technical committee, and we are discussing the feedback that we have received from all the players across the tours, not just the Asian Tour, the European Tour, the smaller tours, India, Thailand, the Alps Tour, etc and we’re examining it,” explained Thant.
“Obviously it’s very different to the way it used to be, but it is a shock to the system for a field such as this week’s Asian Tour event used to get a massive amount of points to what is now just 24 points for the winner this week, and it might have come down because DJ (Dustin Johnson) was included in that initial projection.
Abraham Ancer leads going into the final round of the Saudi International
“It’s not disapproval from my side, it’s just how it really is. We’re definitely going to bring it up in a full review of the points the Asian Tour is receiving and all the other tours around the world. There is a review in process and it’ll be discussed for sure. So, it’s a little bit different from before but we do feel it needs to be looked at”.
Thant, who was promoted to the Tour's CEO in 2019, unveiled details of 'The International Series' back in 2022, with a $300 million investment and a 10-year alliance making way for 10 tournaments taking place across Asia and Europe that year.
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