2 former PGA Tour pros make big strides in world rankings after LIV event

Last week saw a thrilling finish to the third LIV Golf event of the new era of world ranking recognition.

WHEREAS Jon Rahm stole the headlines with his first LIV win since 2024the win also gave Rahm a nice chunk Official World Golf Ranking point.

But Rahm didn’t make the biggest jump in the world rankings among competitors at LIV Golf Hong Kong. That honor belonged to two other former PGA Tour players who climbed the rankings with top-10 finishes.

Here’s what you need to know.

Matthew Wolff and Harold Varner III climb the rankings after LIV Golf Hong Kong

In case you missed the news, LIV Golf was officially recognized by OWGR earlier this yearmeaning that world ranking points will be distributed at every LIV event in 2026.

However, not everyone on the field gets points. As part of the OWGR decision, only top-10 finishers in LIV events receive world ranking points.

Six players finished T8 in Hong Kong, meaning a total of 13 LIV pros saw a significant increase in world ranking points.

None more than Matthew Wolff. In his short PGA Tour career, Wolff captured one victory and reached No. 12 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He even finished runner-up at the 2020 US Open.

But Wolff’s game crumbled at the end of his time on the PGA Tour and he left for LIV in 2022. His struggles have continued there, with him failing to win. Last year, he finished 42nd in the LIV individual rankings.

During that time, Wolff saw his world ranking decline. Prior to LIV Golf Hong Kong, Wolff had dropped to 2305th on the OWGR. But a good ending made a world of difference.

Thanks to finishing 5th in Hong Kong on Sunday, Wolff skyrocketed 1,531 places in the standings. However, his new ranking won’t get him any degrees: 774th.

Another LIV professional, Harold Varner IIImade a similarly massive leap up the world rankings after Hong Kong. Varner III never won a PGA Tour event before heading to LIV in 2022, though he has fared better than Wolff at LIV. Varner III captured a win at LIV Golf Washington DC in 2023.

At the LIV Hong Kong, Varner III finished at 18 under, five shots behind Rahm and one shot better than Wolff. His solo fourth also gave him a ton of world ranking points. To start the week, Varner III was ranked 1,385 on the OWGR. Thanks to his fourth place finish, he moved up to 589th place.

Below you can see a full list of top-10 winners from the LIV Golf Hong Kong 2026 event, along with their movement in the world rankings.

LIV World Ranking Movement After LIV Hong Kong (Top 10 Winners)

1. Jon Rahm: From 54 to 36 in the Official World Golf Ranking

2. Thomas Detry: 70 to 61

3. Thomas Pieters: 430 to 270

4. Harold Varner III: 1,385 to 589

5. Matthew Wolff: 2,305 to 774

6. Carlos Ortiz: 183 to 160

7. Dean Burmester: 229 to 208

T8. Lucas Herbert: 166 to 156

T8. Sergio Garcia: 386 to 331

T8. Louis Oosthuizen: 372 to 323.

T8. Elvis Smiley: 73 to 73

T8. Graeme McDowell: 1508 to 900.

T8. David Puig: 91 to 84