Executives at LIV Golf and the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) are currently in serious discussions about awarding rankings points to members of the Saudi-backed tour, according to multiple people familiar with the talks.
The move, should it come to pass, would make it easier for LIV golfers to qualify for the four majors, which all use world ranking points in their criteria for invitations. It also would remove a barrier for some players interested in joining the tour.
LIV Golf and OWGR have both recently installed new leadership. Longtime sports executive Scott O’Neil replaced Greg Norman as LIV Golf CEO in January. This month, Trevor Immelman, who was the 2008 Masters champion and serves as an analyst for CBS, took over as chair of the OWGR, replacing Peter Dawson. Immelman’s appointment has reignited the talks. O’Neil and Immelman were spotted in conversation at the Masters under the famed oak tree behind the Augusta National clubhouse.
LIV Golf declined to comment on the discussions.
Last week, LIV Golf was in Mexico City, with Chilean Joaquin Niemann winning the event. “With someone like Scott leading the way, I think he’s really tried to do the best for the league and for golf in general,” Niemann told ESPN Deportes when asked about LIV players receiving rankings points. “I feel very confident about where we are right now. If it ends up happening, and we do get world ranking points, it would be incredible. And if not, we’ll continue to get closer little by little.”
LIV has been working to secure points for its players since its launch in 2022 but has been denied over concerns about the team format and lack of turnover among players. Traditionally, golf equipment contracts have had bonuses tied to OWGR points, and some LIV golfers have reached restructured pacts based on their challenge to rack up points.
LIV golfers can earn OWGR points in the majors and European Tour events but are barred from PGA tournaments. As a result, only three LIV players—Bryson DeChambeau, Tytrell Hatton and Patrick Reed—are in the top 50 of the OWGR rankings, led by DeChambeau at No. 12 based on his dominant performance in the majors the past two years. In contrast, Data Golf, which ranks LIV and PGA players together based on performance, has four LIV golfers in their top 10, with Jon Rahm and DeChambeau ranked third and fourth.
In February, the U.S. Open became the first major to announce a new exemption category for LIV golfers. A week later, the R&A, which governs the British Open, approved their own exemption category for LIV players to qualify for the Open, based on their season standings. Niemann punched his ticket to the U.S. Open at Oakmont in June with his win in Mexico City.
Talks between LIV Golf and the OWGR come as several golfers are in the final year of their initial contracts with LIV. Securing rankings points for the tour would be a win for players looking to get exemptions for the majors.
LIV Golf and the PGA Tour continue negotiations on the “framework agreement” reached in June 2023 to join their commercial interests. While talks continue, LIV has racked up several wins since O’Neil took over, beyond the U.S. Open and British Open exemptions.
In January, Fox Sports signed a multiyear pact to broadcast LIV Golf events. Ratings continued to be challenged in the U.S., but LIV points to its global reach with events broadcast in 100 countries.
Golf’s endemic partners have started to embrace LIV. In March, Rahm’s Legion XIII team signed a deal with Callaway Golf, marking the first time a major equipment manufacturer signed with LIV. Last week, Ping became the second when signed an agreement to sponsor Torque GC, the LIV team captained by Niemann.
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