LIV Golf’s Hopes for Ranking Points Ride With Bryson DeChambeau in British Open

More than a championship is riding on the shoulders of Bryson DeChambeau in golf’s final major event of the season, the Open Championship beginning Thursday at Royal Portrush in Northern Island.Mr. DeChambeau is the only player to win a major championship after moving to LIV Golf, capturing the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. If he can replicate that feat with a win at Royal Portrush, it could bolster LIV Golf’s renewed bid to be included in the Official World Golf Ranking.LIV Golf’s quirky format, which includes a shotgun start and only 54 holes of competition, has until now prevented its players from compiling points to be included in the OWGR. LIV golfers can only earn OWGR points in major championships and some events on the Europe-based DP World Tour or the Asian Tour.As a result, Dustin Johnson, a former no. 1-ranked player and among the first to leave the PGA Tour for LIV, has dropped to a ranking of 957. Jon Rahm, another former world no. 1, is ranked 72. Mr. DeChambeau is the highest-ranked LIV player, at 15.The larger issue is LIV Golf’s ability to maintain its current roster and acquire new talent. There is talk that players like Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion who has dropped to 282 in the rankings, may not re-sign with LIV when his contract expires after this season due to the inability to acquire OWGR points. Young players may not sign with LIV Golf because they can’t earn enough points to qualify for major tournaments.“I think it’s big for us to have these players that are just jumping onboard still collect points,” Mr. DeChambeau said this week. “They are deserving of it. They’re playing some incredible golf every week, and I think having a system in place for us as players would benefit the ecosystem of the game tremendously, especially for fans.”Mr. DeChambeau is one of 20 LIV golfers competing in the 153rd Open Championship, the final major championship of the golf season. Rory McIlroy won the Masters this year, while Scottie Scheffler claimed the PGA Championship. J.J. Spaun, a virtually unknown, won the U.S. Open, leaving LIV golfers with one last chance to show they belong in the rankings.“Do you think we should get points?” Mr. DeChambeau asked a group of reporters. “I would say that we’ve got some pretty good players over there.”Last year, LIV Golf withdrew its initial bid made in 2022 for OWGR points. The OWGR board, reportedly, had problems with LIV Golf’s shorter format compared to the traditional 72 holes on the PGA Tour. LIV Golf also features a quirky shotgun start in which players start and finish at the same time on different holes. And there were concerns over LIV Golf’s limited roster and its team concept.LIV Golf’s new CEO, Scott O’Neil, recently announced that the league has reapplied for OWGR status, though what changes the league is willing to make remain uncertain.“LIV Golf is committed to working together with the Official World Golf Ranking and its board to ensure the very best players are competing in the game’s most prestigious events,” Mr. O’Neil said. “We are confident our application addresses the outstanding questions that exist to support a more global, all-encompassing and accurate ranking system.”Mr. O’Neil has made a positive impact since joining LIV Golf, signing a new media rights deal with Fox and helping its teams acquire equipment and merchandise deals. Mr. DeChambeau, who has developed a huge YouTube following, thinks LIV Golf is moving in the right direction.“We’re commercializing,” he said. “We’ve got some good partners on board with us now. Is it taking longer than we would have thought? Yeah, but we’re okay with that. We’ll see where it goes.”Mr. Scheffler, the current world no. 1, is in favor of some sort of solution. “I think the more often we can get the best players in the world playing together would be better,” he said, “and that would only be better for the rankings as well.”A former Masters champion, Trevor Immelman, is the chairman of the OWGR board of directors, which will make the final decision. “LIV’s application will be reviewed in accordance with OWGR’s criteria to ensure fairness, integrity and consistency,” he said.

LIV Golf’s Hopes for Ranking Points Ride With Bryson DeChambeau in British Open

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