Even Rory McIlroy is attempting to wrap his head round LIV Golf’s determination to maneuver its golf tournaments from 54 to 72 holes. Seen as a method to finally acquire approval (and factors) from the Official World Golf Rankings, LIV Golf’s transfer represents a shift from its unique philosophy and one McIlroy believes might not have been essential.
“I feel it is a peculiar transfer as a result of I feel they may have gotten rating factors with three rounds,” McIlroy mentioned. “I do not suppose three rounds versus 4 rounds is what was holding them again.”
On Tuesday, LIV Golf made headlines when the league introduced it might be shifting to the normal format in skilled golf — 72 holes and 4 rounds of play. Tournaments are scheduled to start out on Thursday like these on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and the change basically sheds LIV Golf of certainly one of its unique missions, which was to rework the skilled recreation, though the group competitors will proceed to run alongside the person motion.
“It definitely places them extra according to conventional golf tournaments than what we have all achieved,” McIlroy mentioned. “It brings them again into not likely being a disruptor and type is of falling extra according to what everybody else does. But when that is what they felt they wanted to do to get the rating factors, I assume that is what they needed to do.”
McIlroy is appropriate in stating that 54 holes was not the top all be all for LIV Golf and its quest for OWGR accreditation. The Clutch Professional Tour, which conducts 54-hole tournaments with a reduce after 36 holes, was included within the OWGR system in April 2024 following a 17-month software course of.
One other 54-hole circuit within the MENA Tour — which LIV Golf tried to make the most of to realize rating factors through a strategic alliance in 2022 — has been a part of the system since 2016. The league has not staged an occasion since 2023 however plans to return later this month.
Nonetheless, the transfer in all probability helps. LIV Golf’s preliminary software to the OWGR was denied in October 2023 as a result of closed-shop nature of the league and the person competitors doubtlessly being altered by that of the group competitors.
Within the two years since, LIV Golf has made some strides to make up for its shortcomings. The league just lately added one other qualifying spot in its LIV Golf Promotions occasion and also will award not solely the highest participant however the second-ranked participant from the Worldwide Collection a spot within the league for 2026.
Throughout this time a few of its finest gamers have plummeted within the OWGR and have gained factors solely by main championships or begins on different excursions such because the DP World Tour. Jon Rahm is all the way down to No. 71, Bryson DeChambeau is No. 23 and Joaquin Niemann who some inside the league have been calling one of the best participant on this planet at one level this season finds himself because the world No. 122.
“I feel what’s arduous is you have received the LIV guys, and say doubtlessly they get World Rankings, however as a result of their energy of fields are going to be so weak as a result of lots of the fellows have fallen already within the rankings as a result of they haven’t had rating factors for thus lengthy,” McIlroy mentioned. “I do not know if the rating factors are actually going to learn them. Will probably be fascinating to see the way it performs out.”
