Greg Norman REFUSES changes to LIV for OWGR points: "They were NEVER prepared!"

LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman has refused to rule out changes to fulfil the criteria for Official World Golf Ranking points.

Ben Smith

04 Nov 2022

Greg Norman REFUSES changes to LIV for OWGR points: "They were NEVER prepared!" — Greg Norman REFUSES changes to LIV for OWGR points: "They were NEVER…

Greg Norman has claimed the Official World Golf Ranking [OWGR] was "never prepared" for LIV Golf as he ruled out making changes to fulfil the current qualifying criteria.

Whilst there is an ongoing legal battle between the PGA Tour and the breakaway series - of which the 67-year-old Australian is the commissioner - many believe the most crucial element of this whole saga is world ranking points.

If and when LIV Golf get awarded accreditation it could well and truly be game over for the PGA Tour.

Greg Norman REFUSES changes to LIV for OWGR points:

This would surely mean Jay Monahan and other PGA chiefs would have to rethink their approach to banning players.

We will have to wait and see how this develops but for now Norman, who has targeted at least seven new signings before the LIV Golf League launches in 2023, has renewed his call for LIV to get ranking points.

Despite his call, LIV have no plans to change their format to tick the OWGR boxes. Just two of the problems for LIV is that there events are played over 54 holes and there is no clear qualifying path.

According to Norman, he understands that there is a "process" with the technical committee but sometimes you've got to "expect the unexpected".

He told the media:

"I understand OWGR has got to go through a process with a technical committee and they say there's a time period to go through, I get all that. But at the end of the day, knowing the players who are sitting on the sidelines who are missing out, which is detrimental to the PGA Tour and the majors as well, it shows you that the OWGR was never prepared for a new entity like LIV Golf.

"You've got to expect the unexpected sometimes, and when somebody comes along like we have with an incredible business model that actually is working, and has been proven to work as we've shown over the last eight tournaments this year, you've got to have that flexibility and adaptability to allow a new entity coming in."

Before LIV Golf played their penultimate $25m invitational in 2023 in Bangkok, Norman's LIV essentially tried to pull a fast one.

LIV confirmed a strategic alliance with the OWGR-accredited MENA Tour. It was a move which gave them the confidence LIV players would immediately start earning world ranking points.

Jena Sims, the wife of Brooks Koepka, appeared to jump the gun.

The OWGR said they would review the changes. The MENA Tour chief, David Spencer, subsequently lashed out.

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Norman continued:

"LIV Golf is a top-down, not a bottom-up approach and OWGR was never ready for that. So they've got to sit back and it does bode the question: Are they the only ones? Why are they the only ones? Why can't there be other institutions that come out with world ranking points along the same algorithms that have been used by the OWGR today?"

"We worked closely with the technical committee and felt like we ticked all the boxes that needed to be ticked, and so we put in our application back in July.

"And because of the other opportunities that we recognised through the MENA Tour, helping a developmental tour that was stuck in the mud from the COVID days, and to resurrect them, we identified that. Actually, they reached out to us and we studied it for quite a few months to see whether it was there.

"Now when you look at that avenue or two-pronged approach we've taken, we're very, very confident we've checked all the boxes on it to get OWGR points."

Norman's comments come after the DP World Tour announced guaranteed pay for their players in 2023.

In 2023, LIV Golf will expand to a 14-event schedule with $405m being given away in prize money.

If come early next year LIV are still without OWGR accreditation, then the majors could certainly be spicy.