After LIV Golf formally withdrew its bid to join, Masters winner John Rahm stated on Wednesday that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) was not “a good system”.
Commissioner of LIV Golf Greg Norman informed players in a letter viewed by AFP on Tuesday that the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit had given up on its pursuit of world rankings status, which it had started in July 2022.
“It’s now clear that the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system,” Norman said.
“A resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists.”
The OWGR, whose rankings are used to decide exemptions into golf’s four major championships, denied LIV Golf’s bid last October.
“I’m going to go back to what I said two years ago. I didn’t think it was a good system back then,” Rahm told reporters ahead of LIV Hong Kong, which begins on Friday.
“If anything, the more time goes on, the more it proves to be wrong,” added the Spaniard, who only left the PGA Tour for LIV in December and is still ranked world number three.
Bryson DeChambeau, a fellow major champion, stated that finding common ground was a responsibility for all those in charge of the game.
