RIYADH – British Open champion and LIV Golf rebel Cameron Smith claimed on Wednesday that the world golf rankings are becoming “obsolete” as a consequence of the sport’s civil war.
The 29-year-old Australian joined the controversial breakaway series in 2022 after rising to No. 2 in the world.
That followed a series of spectacular performances, including winning the British Open at St Andrews, the Players Championship, the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and the Australian PGA Championship.
He has, however, slipped to fourth in the rankings. Other LIV golfers like former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson has fallen to 46th, Bryson DeChambeau has slipped from 24th to 96th, while Phil Mickelson is 254th compared to 38th at this time last season.
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) Board received an application from LIV Golf last July, but is yet to make any announcement.
In late January, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Europe’s DP World Tour chief executive officer Keith Pelley recused themselves from the decision.
“I’ve tried not to take it that badly, to be honest,” said Smith on Wednesday as he prepared to play the Asian Tour’s US$5 million (S$6.5 million) season-opener, the Saudi International at the King Abdullah Economic City, which features a host of LIV players.
“I think when you rock up at a tournament, you know who you have to beat, whether there is a world ranking or not. There are generally seven, eight guys that are in that field that you know are going to put up a pretty good fight.
“For sure, it hurts. I feel as though I was really close to getting to No. 1, and that was definitely something I wanted to tick off. However, the longer this stuff goes on, I think the more obsolete those rankings become.”
Last October, Johnson said: “I think we deserve them (ranking points). I think obviously with the quality of players we have out here, the events we’re having, we should have them.
“I think it’s very smart and strategic the way they’re going about it, but hopefully they (OWGR) make the right decision and give us world ranking points.”
Meanwhile, Smith said it would be difficult to replicate a season like 2022, but he is hoping he can make a similar start like last season when he won the Tournament of Champions with a record score of 34 under.
“I think 2022 probably would be a really tough one to back up,” said Smith, who started his professional career with a season on the Asian Tour before securing his card on the PGA Tour.
“It’s just about keeping the same processes going, really digging deep, working hard on my game. I think that is really what I need to do. Everything becomes easy when you’re playing good golf.”
There is a question mark over Johnson’s participation this week. On Wednesday, he pulled out of the pro-am for unspecified reasons and his scheduled press conference was cancelled as well.
Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia and fellow LIV golfer is also in the field, returning following a right-knee operation in November.
“It went well. It feels probably about 95 per cent. It doesn’t bother me to swing any more. Now it is just a matter of getting used to walking holes over and over again,” said 43-year-old Garcia, who is also playing the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman in Muscat next week. AFP
