LIV Golf’s path to OWGR points is clearer now, but they may not like it

In some other 12 months, this might not be information. But as 2022 winds to a detailed, it is the information of the day. The Official World Golf Ranking has awarded eligibility for rating points to one other golf tour. Just not the tour you’re pondering of. 

The OWGR announced Wednesday that the Gira de Golf Professional de Mexicana will start to earn world rating points on January 8, 2023. (You’re allowed to reread that sentence.) A golf tour known as Gira de Golf Professional de Mexicana has joined the opposite 23 sanctioned excursions internationally and can now have its occasions awarded rating points. Why are you supposed to care? 

Because that is not the tour we anticipated to be part of the OWGR subsequent. But the context is essential for understanding what comes subsequent. LIV Golf was on deck, most everybody thought. Not fairly! 

The OWGR board sometimes requires one to two years between receiving an utility for world rating points after which rewarding gamers in its occasions with these points. As for the GdGPdM, that course of performed out over 16 months, which suggests the tour utilized in late summer season 2021, a full 10 months earlier than LIV Golf filed its personal utility. 

While a lot as that may set off some ire for the staunchest LIV supporters, the transfer by the OWGR ought to include loads of optimism for the brand new golf league. For starters, the newly permitted tour hosts 54-hole occasions, simply like LIV Golf. If the PGA Tour is caught on 72 holes, that’s positive. LIV’s 54-hole occasions would have neighborhood within the rating. 

An necessary addendum to that is the newly permitted Mexico-based tour institutes a lower after 36 holes, which LIV Golf does not. Is it necessary to the OWGR that there’s a lower, the place insufficient performances are degraded? It could be. You see it virtually in every single place else. 

Another sticking level for OWGR acceptance has been entry. LIV Golf fields in 2022 had been largely crammed by hand-picked picks of keen gamers, in addition to contracted gamers who had signed annual agreements. And a few of these agreements for a number of years. With a hard and fast variety of gamers (48) concerned, how are youthful gamers, up-and-coming gamers, and even veteran gamers reaching their peak going to achieve entry to the occasions LIV places on? There is not a lot for a transparent path. 

The Gira de Golf tour hosts an annual, open qualifying faculty for gamers fascinated with taking part in on its tour. In different phrases, you are able to do it. Anyone can do it. It’s an necessary differentiator that checks one of many OWGR’s packing containers. 

“This is a significant milestone for golf and OWGR is deeply encouraged by the achievement and the continued efforts in the advancement of the sport of golf in Mexico,” OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson said. “We look forward to watching the progress of Gira de Golf Professional de Mexicana as it continues to play a key role in the development of players from the region.”

It goes with out saying that the GdGPdM is on a special degree than LIV Golf. The high quality of participant differs drastically. And thus LIV supporters consider the OWGR wants to act in a a lot faster style to reward eligibility. But Chairman Dawson has been notably quiet with regard to LIV Golf’s utility, which was filed in July. If it had been to observe alongside the identical timetable, maybe LIV may start awarding OWGR points late in 2023. That would possible be too late for its 2023 season, which is anticipated to end in September.

In the meantime, life goes on in professional golf, but not with out consternation in regards to the OWGR. Just earlier this month, the OWGR was placed on blast for a way a 20-person area on the Hero World Challenge was receiving points. The month prior that was headlined by the DP World Tour Championship — which had a 50-player area with lots of the greatest on the planet — receiving fewer points than the RSM Classic, taking part in out in America with a deeper area and fewer high 20 gamers. Jon Rahm sounded off. So did Tiger Woods. The decision we obtained? Nothing greater than extra reminders about how the system works.

For now, we should wait, and wait, and wait…maybe so long as the Gira de Golf tour did.