LIV players send letter to OWGR chairman demanding ranking points
All 48 players who competed in LIV Golf's Chicago invitational last week signed a letter asking for the Saudi-backed league to be included in the Official World Golf Rankings system, according to Golfweek's Tim Schmitt.
Addressed to OWGR chairman Peter Dawson, the letter was sent to media Tuesday and highlighted the need for points in the men's professional golf landscape. World No. 3 Cameron Smith won the event, while Bubba Watson, who didn't compete in Chicago, also reportedly signed the note.
"(OWGR is used) not just to qualify for the most important events, including the majors and Olympics, but to tell us where we stand among our peers," the letter reads, according to Schmitt.
Their letter said "trust in the OWGR has been widespread and well-deserved" and likened not awarding LIV players points to "leaving the Big 10 or the SEC out of the U.S. college football rankings, or leaving Belgium, Argentina, and England out of the FIFA rankings."
None of the players who've competed in LIV events have received any world ranking points. LIV's invitationals feature only 54 holes and don't have cuts, meaning their format differs from typical PGA TOUR or DP World Tour events.
LIV Golf officials believe the OWGR should expedite its approval process, which can sometimes take a year, due to the league's high-profile players, a source told Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig last Friday.
The OWGR's governing board is made up of eight members - including Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour, and PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.
"The case for LIV's inclusion is strong, but we have concerns that members of your governing board are conflicted and are keeping the OWGR from acting as it should," the letter said, according to The Athletic's Brendan Quinn.
"Four of the eight members have connections to the PGA TOUR, which unfortunately views LIV Golf as an antagonist. Other members of the board have made unfairly harsh remarks about LIV, with one of them calling the organization 'not credible.'"
LIV players must currently compete in events on other tours to earn OWGR points. Since all LIV players are suspended from PGA TOUR events, few other tournaments have fields strong enough to provide meaningful points.