User talk:LIV Golfers Criticize World Rankings, Say They Don't Reflect Who They Are
Cameron Smith
Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
The Saudi capital-backed LIV golf team has criticized the men's golf world rankings, saying they are now "virtually useless."
"The world rankings have become obsolete," Cameron Smith (AUS) said at a press conference at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday (Sept. 13). "There are world-class players playing in LIV Golf, but it's strange when they are ranked outside the top 100 or 200."
The LIV Golf competition, which launched last year, does not receive world ranking points.
Since LIV Golf players are not eligible to compete on the U.S. PGA Tour, there is no way for them to earn world ranking points, so their world rankings have dropped significantly.
Smith, the 2022 Open champion, was ranked as high as No. 2 before switching to LIV Golf, but has since dropped to No. 15.
The world ranking determines qualification for major tournaments, so it's important for players to keep an eye on it.
This is why the World Golf Ranking Committee rejected LIV Golf's request for ranking points two days ago, prompting complaints from LIV players.
Dustin Johnson (USA), a two-time major winner, also criticized the rankings, saying, "It's hard to get a sense of the quality of the players anymore," and that "it's wrong to use the rankings as some sort of benchmark that excludes the 48 good players (playing on LIV)."
Currently, there are only two LIV players in the top 50 in the world, Smith and Brooks Koepka (USA), who is ranked 18th.
Patrick Reed (USA) joined the chorus of critics, saying, "I don't think the world rankings are meaningful until they reflect an accurate ranking of players around the world."
However, in June of this year, the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF), which sponsors LIV Golf, agreed to merge after a year of hostilities following LIV's launch, so there may be a way for LIV players to receive ranking points in the future, depending on how quickly the PGA Tour and LIV Golf unify. 스포츠토토링크
