Finally, the time has come! The golf world suspected it, the rumor mill was buzzing – and now it's official: players on the LIV Golf Tour can look forward to world ranking points starting this year! The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced on Tuesday that the controversial tour will award the coveted points for the first time starting in 2026. A real game-changer for everyone who thought it would never happen!
But beware, golfers: Not every performance will count equally! The OWGR has clearly communicated that world ranking points will only be awarded to players who place in the top 10 of individual stroke play tournaments. This regulation will take effect from 2026.
This is a real milestone, because since the launch of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour in 2022, the lack of world ranking points has been a constant thorn in their side. Especially the elite players on the LIV Tour saw their positions in the rankings plummet. This greatly complicated their qualification for the four major championships, whose fields are largely determined by the rankings. Who wants to miss the Masters because they're short a few points?
Another sticking point for a long time was the format: LIV events were played over three rounds as 54-hole tournaments – a real novelty that was not well received by the OWGR. But pay attention, because this season, LIV has switched to the proven four-round tournaments. A clever move that is now clearly paying off.
Trevor Immelman, chairman of the OWGR, stated that the entire story was anything but a simple birdie. He described it as an "incredibly complex and challenging process" to which they had dedicated "an enormous amount of time and energy" since LIV Golf's application seven months ago. The goal was to rank the best male players in the world, while simultaneously remaining fair to the thousands of other pros competing on established tours. A true balancing act that, according to Immelman, they have now mastered – with a solution that reconciles both.
And the story isn't over yet, folks! The OWGR has announced that it will continue to scrutinize LIV Golf thoroughly over the next two years. This could mean: more points, fewer points, or, in the worst case, even complete removal from the system. So the sword of Damocles still hangs a little over the LIV fairways.
But as it is in golf, when one celebrates, another criticizes. LIV Golf promptly dissected the OWGR decision, complaining that it doesn't go far enough. Only the top 10 are to receive points? That can't be right, folks! "Under these rules, a player who finishes 11th at a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player in 57th place," LIV Golf stated clearly. This limitation disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but just miss the top ten.
