'What A Joke!' - Asian Tour Players Slam World Ranking Points

Golf’s world ranking points controversy has taken a new twist with two of the top three finishers in last week’s Asian Tour event left less than impressed at the number of points awarded to them for their efforts.

Berry Henson, who has plied his trade on the Asian Tour since 2011, took to Twitter after finding out the points allocated at the Yeangder TPC at Linkou International Golf and Country Club in Taiwan. The American received 0.6518 points for finishing tied-3rd at 14-under par, while winner Travis Smyth got just 2.28704 for winning his first Asian Tour title.

In comparison, Guido Migliozzi received 18.54753 for winning the French Open, Max Homa got just over 40 points for winning the most recent PGA Tour event, the Fortinet Championship, and every Major championship awards 100 to the winner. Smyth received less points for his victory than Victor Perez and Adrian Meronk got for tying for 11th place at Le Golf National, while everyone who finished in the top 50 at July’s Open Championship at St Andrews received more ranking points than Smyth won in New Taipei City.

Yeangder champion Smyth replied to Henson’s tweet with a string of laughing emojis, asking “Is that all I got? What a joke!”, while Lee Westwood was quick to reply to the Australian, tweeting, “Yes but someone that represents you on that board voted for that change.”

Westwood, of course, is one of the players who has moved to LIV Golf, and currently doesn’t earn any ranking points in those events, which are deemed not to fit the qualifying criteria by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). All LIV players are falling down the world rankings, with some playing on other tours to try and maintain their positions in the knowledge that invitations to Majors and other events can be based on world ranking.

Former World No.1 Westwood has now fallen outside of the world’s top 100, and while recent LIV Chicago winner Cameron Smith is still ranked third in the world, he too will slowly slide down the list. Westwood is one of 50 LIV players who have sent Peter Dawson, Chairman of the OWGR, a letter asking for LIV Golf to be recognised by the organisation, while LIV chief Greg Norman has said the OWGR should fold or include LIV.

The likes of Talor Gooch, Abraham Ancer and Jason Kokrak (even though he eventually withdrew before the BMW PGA Championship) have come under fire for playing on the DP World Tour to try and maintain their world ranking position. Kokrak still has ‘Top 20 Golfer in World’ in his Twitter bio, despite last being ranked there on January 2nd.

Prior to returning to the Asian Tour, Smyth played the first three LIV Golf Invitationals, but the raft of signings ahead of LIV Boston, including his fellow countryman Smith, meant he found himself surplus to requirements. He finished tied-33rd, tied-29th and 22nd in his three LIV appearances, earning a total of $471,000. All three of his LIV pay cheques were bigger than the $126,000 he got for winning his first Asian Tour title.