LIV Golf ends hope for world ranking points

The Great White Shark is waving the white flag when it comes to LIV Golf being recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking. Greg Norman, the CEO and commissioner of the Saudi-funded league, has told his players that LIV has withdrawn its application.

LIV Golf first applied for world ranking points in July 2022, about a month after the league launched with the same 48 players competing over 54 holes with no cut.

The OWGR board formally rejected the application last October, saying it could not fairly measure a league with the same group of players against 24 other tours around the world that have fuller tournaments and a path to get into them.

“We have made enormous efforts to fight for you and to ensure your accomplishments are recognized within the existing ranking system,” Norman wrote to players in a letter reported by multiple media outlets. “Unfortunately, the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us.”

The four majors use the world ranking as part of their criteria. Representatives from the majors were the ones voting to reject LIV’S application last fall.

The stronger effect would be the Olympics, which also relies on the world ranking to determine eligibility.

Peter Dawson, chairman of the OWGR board, had said in October that “we are not at war” with LIV. He said it was a technical decision, not a political one. Dawson said LIV did not have a format that allowed it to be ranked equitably with other tours and “thousands of players trying to compete on them.”

Lillard rallies Bucks over Clippers in Milwaukee

Damian Lillard scored 41 points and Milwaukee overcame the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo to rally past the Clippers late on Monday for their sixth straight victory.

Antetokounmpo missed just his third game of the season but the Bucks remained unbeaten since the All-star break.

Bobby Portis scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a season-high 16 rebounds. Former Clipper Patrick Beverley added 12 points and sparked the winning rally.

James Harden and Paul George scored 29 points each for the Clippers, who play tonight in Houston. Kawhi Leonard added 16 points.

• Clippers guard Russell Westbrook had surgery on his fractured left hand. The team describes his status as week to week. Westbrook broke his hand in Friday’s game against Washington while trying to poke the ball away from Jordan Poole.

Ducks face Ottawa looking for opportunity amid injuries

When the Ducks and their opponent today, the Ottawa Senators, clashed in Canada’s capital on Feb. 15, the Ducks won 5-1 behind two goals from local product Mason Mctavish.

Mctavish will be out tonight due to a lower-body injury that has him in a walking boot. He’ll join fellow top-10 picks Leo Carlsson (upperbody) and Trevor Zegras (ankle) in the pressbox.

For Coach Greg Cronin, it’s been another series of chances to transform “chaos into opportunity,” as he’s fond of saying.

“These injuries and these absences create opportunities for guys. Organizationally, you can find a diamond in the rough when this happens,” Cronin said. “So, you don’t change anything that you’re coaching or how you coach, you just try to give these guys an opportunity and hold them to the same standard.”

The Ducks have also been without winger Brock Mcginn for over a month and in addition to countless injuries have also dealt with departures from their blue line via trade. Cronin said losing players was “part of the business,” including deals that sent away rearguards Jamie Drysdale

and Ilya Lyubushkin for futures without “getting a body back.”

They could be dealing with that reality once again if faceoff-savvy forward Adam Henrique, who missed the net in the dying gasps of a 2-1 loss to Vancouver on Sunday, ships out as anticipated. He’s the foremost among the Ducks players expected to be traded before Friday’s noon deadline. Frank Vatrano, who leads the Ducks in goals and notched three points against the Senators, has also been a player of interest, albeit at what Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Monday would be a very high price.

The defense corps as currently configured pairs the longest-tenured Duck Cam Fowler –– who took a puck to the face in San Jose, missed one game and then returned despite a laceration and swelling for the Vancouver matchup –– and its least seasoned member, rookie Olen Zellweger.