Cantlay calls for world golf rankings overhaul

EIGHT-TIME PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay believes an overhaul of the official golf world rankings is “inevitable” as the issue continues to be a talking point.

On Tuesday it emerged LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman had written to his players to inform them the Saudi breakaway tour would no longer be pursuing its long battle to be recognised by the OWGR.

Due to the nature of its closedfield, 54-hole events, LIV has been deemed not to meet the criteria to join the established tours.

Ranking points are significant as for many golfers they are their only way of qualifying for the majors.

“The rankings has a very particular set of criteria,” said Cantlay ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida.

“I don’t know if broken is the right word, but I think that there’s been so much uncertainty and change in the last couple years that it’s inevitable that things need to be updated or changed.

“I don’t know if we’ve worked through all the changes necessary, compared to all the changes that have happened in recent years.”

In the meantime the world number five is concentrating on his game as he has to remain in the top four-ranked Americans if he is to defend his Olympic gold medal in Paris later this year.

“I like playing well in the events where you can’t really sign up for so, yeah, of course, it (Olympics) is definitely on my radar.

“I know there’s a lot of small things I need to do in order to qualify, but I need to continue to have really solid weeks and keep my world ranking up high enough so I can qualify for Paris.”