Norman calls for players to earn ranking points from LIV events

With the U.S. Open completed, the golf world may again find itself focusing on the LIV series, given that its second event — and first on American soil — is set to tee off in less than two weeks.

LIV Golf already has trumpeted the coming additions in Portland, Ore., of Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, and additional notable names are expected to defect from the PGA Tour before that event begins. But another struggle is taking place behind the scenes, with LIV executives working to have their tournaments become eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

That effort became more public over the weekend, when LIV Golf Investments CEO Greg Norman made an appearance on Fox News in which he pointed out that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sits on the OWGR’s eight-member governing board. Monahan has indefinitely suspended PGA Tour players who signed with LIV Golf, and last week he vehemently defended that decision, stating on CBS that such players would not be allowed to “freeride” off the cachet of his organization.

“It’ll be interesting to see if Jay Monahan recuses himself from that vote because of what he said on television with [CBS’s] Jim Nantz the other day,” Norman said Saturday on Fox News. “So it’s very interesting and it’s sad to be putting that additional exerting pressure on it, because our tour is a good tour. It’s supported, it’s got an incredible field.

“OWGR points should be granted, and if we get the OWGR points, then everything else takes care of itself.”

It’s a crucial matter for the upstart, Saudi-funded venture because the world rankings are a major factor in determining eligibility for the four majors. Without OWGR accreditation, players who focus on the eight LIV events over other circuits will slip in the rankings, which could diminish the lure of the series’s massive purses and signing bonuses.

“We’re actually applying for OWGR points right now,” said Norman, who added that it was a “very compelling” application. “We’ve worked very, very closely with the technical committee, understanding all the components of what you need to apply for it.”