World rankings risk becoming obsolete, says LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau

SINGAPORE – Top players from the breakaway LIV Golf series ripped into golf’s world rankings on Wednesday, with former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau saying it risks becoming “obsolete” owing to the omission of those from the Saudi-backed tour.

A player’s Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) standing is one determinant for eligibility to the four Majors, and LIV Golf events currently do not receive points on the world ranking system.

The 29-year-old said: “You should realise that the OWGR is not accurate, they need to come to a resolution or it will pretty much become obsolete, it’s almost obsolete right now.

“But again if the Majors and everything continue to have that as their ranking system then they’re biasing it quite heavily. It’s very disappointing that that’s the way it goes and that’s not right.”

DeChambeau was speaking at a press conference ahead of the inaugural LIV Golf Singapore event, which tees off on Friday at the Sentosa Golf Club.

The American, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, is set to headline the event alongside other stars such as former world No. 1s Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, and six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson.

LIV golfers have seen their positions in the OWGR plummet since joining the independent circuit. DeChambeau’s ranking fell from 29th to 178th, while just five (Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Koepka, Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters) are in the top 50.

The OWGR Board received an application from LIV Golf last July but has yet to make any announcement.

However, 45-time PGA Tour winner Mickelson, who finished tied-second at the 2023 Masters with fellow LIV golfer Koepka, believes the qualification system for Majors could change to include more of the world’s top players.

The 52-year-old said: “It’s going to iron itself out because if you’re one of the Majors looking at keeping these guys, you’re saying to yourself that you want to have the best field and players and these guys added a lot to the tournament this year at the Masters, how do we get them included?

“If the world golf rankings doesn’t find a way to be inclusive then the Majors will just find another way to include LIV because it’s no longer a credible way, so it will all iron itself out for the simple reason that it’s in the best interest of everybody, especially the tournaments and Majors to have the best players.”

The golfers were in a buoyant mood coming off a rapturous welcome from the crowds at their last stop in Adelaide, which they believe signals a shift in the mood towards the series that has been shrouded in controversy since its launch in 2022. Critics have accused the tour of “sportswashing” by using the sport to deflect from Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson said: “Just like any event, we impact the city that we show up at. I think the tide is changing, people are starting to see how much fun we’re having, see the team aspect and the competition at a high level... We haven’t been a year yet and everybody has their idea of what golf should look like, but we’re changing it.”

Mickelson, who also received a warm welcome at Augusta, added: “As people experience LIV, they’re enjoying a different way of presenting golf and a much more fun, vibrant energy and now people see what it can be, they want to be a part of it and it’s just growing from there.

“It was a big step to showcase what its potential is throughout the world and we’ve now had a lot of interest from other countries, golf courses, cities that want to be a part of that and it’s going to take off.”