Sergio Garcia sees OWGR’s ‘unwritten rule’ hurting LIV in the long run

Last week’s season opener in Riyadh was a historic story for LIV Golf, but Sergio Garcia sees a potential for trouble down the road.

Eleven players, including winner Elvis Smylie, were the first to collect official world golf ranking points at a LIV event after OWGR announced that it would award points to players who finish in the top 10 in LIV events.

“This has been an incredibly complex and challenging process and one that we have devoted a great deal of time and energy to resolving in the seven months since LIV Golf submitted their application,” OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman said in a statement. “We fully understood the need to rank the best men’s players in the world, but at the same time we had to find a way to do so that was on par with the thousands of other players competing in other tournaments that operate with established meritocratic paths.”

of The OWGR decision appeared during the first week in Riyadhwith most players happy that the league was finally being recognized, but upset about the top 10. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil called OWGR’s decision “unprecedented.” Jon Rahm claimed it wasn’t fair.

Garcia is happy that LIV was finally recognized by OWGR after four seasons. The decision should benefit young players like Smylie and Josele Ballester, giving them a path to major championships as they begin their professional careers. But Garcia thinks the top-10 finish will end up being an anchor. A week or two outside the top 10 in a LIV event and all your OWGR earnings will be gone.

“It’s definitely a step forward,” Garcia said ahead of LIV Adelaide in Australia. “Is it right? I mean, I guess time will tell. It doesn’t seem quite right. Over time, obviously. Now, in the first few weeks, obviously, when one of us is winning, that guy will make a jump in the rankings, which is great. But then, every time you finish 11th or worse, you’re getting an extra to zero. a little bit further, it can hurt a lot, but like I said, it’s a step forward, so that’s positive.

LIV Golf changed its format this offseason moving from 54 holes to 72. The move has been polarizing, with Rahm approving the move while Bryson DeChambeau and others remain skeptical.

On Tuesday, Garcia was asked if he thought LIV should make a small cut for the 57-man field each week. Garcia took the opportunity to lash out at the OWGR’s decision to award points only to players who finish in the top 10.

“I mean, you can make like a little cut, but I don’t think it makes that much of a difference,” Garcia said. “I think when it comes to world ranking points, they’ve already made a cut for us in the top 10. It’s kind of like an unwritten rule, you could say.”

This “unwritten rule” has ruffled many feathers at LIV, but Smylie, the 23-year-old Australian who climbed to world No. 77 after last week’s win in Riyadh, is taking a positive view of the development. With points now earned at the LIV, the young Australian sees this as a golden opportunity to play good golf and punch his ticket to all four majors. All he has to do is keep the pedal down and secure the points that are available.

“Definitely top 50 in the world means you get all four titles, which I’m very close to, so it’s nice to get some recognition,” Smylie said. “At the end of the day, good golf takes care of itself, and yeah, try to win a few more times. At the end of the day, the Masters is something that’s on my mind right now. That’s a conversation I can start having and that’s fuel for me.”

So while LIV didn’t get “the whole pie,” as Talor Gooch said, the league now has more points than ever before. It helped Smylie skyrocket 56 places in the rankings and will allow other players to move up as long as they play good golf. With only the top 10 and ties being awarded points, a smaller number of players will have a chance to make significant profits if they string tournaments together.

In the end, the “unwritten rule” could end up being the wind in the sails of the few players who dominate the breakaway league, leaving those struggling to continue the OWGR free fall.

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