Explained: Why LIV Golf may face another OWGR headache even if the league does survive

One of the most tedious debates since the emergence of LIV Golf was whether or not the breakaway tour deserved to be recognised by the sport's global rankings body.

Fronted by Greg Norman, the renegade tour applied for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) accreditation shortly after its launch in July 2022.

The application was made before the landmark 150th Open at St Andrews, but it took the governing body until the following October to reject LIV's bid.

The OWGR cited several reasons for its decision and urged LIV to make adjustments to its format, field sizes and pathways into the league.

By March 2024, Norman threw his toys out of the pram altogether and withdrew the application, accusing the OWGR in a stroppy letter sent to LIV players of showing "little willingness to productively work with us".

LIV's OWGR bid was re-kindled under Norman's replacement, Scott O'Neil, and the league was finally granted restricted recognition before the 2026 season began.

Crucially, only the top 10 finishers in LIV Golf events have been awarded ranking points.

That compromise was significant and LIV hit out at what they believed was an "unprecedented decision". 

Still, it allowed their players to accrue points to secure direct access into the men's major championships. 

And now, as LIV prepares for a radically different 2027, there is a rather awkward question hanging over the whole operation.

Will LIV Golf lose their OWGR recognition?

It is a question worth asking because several of the changes being made to LIV's structure could bring it into conflict with the very criteria that allowed it to gain restricted recognition in the first place.

The short answer is that LIV's OWGR points could be at risk.

That does not mean the league is certain to lose them. 

But, based on the OWGR's own criteria and what we currently know about LIV's planned 2027 structure, there are some fairly obvious areas of concern.

And one of the biggest could be something LIV has already lost: its pathway through the Asian Tour.

The Asian Tour problem

The relationship between LIV and the Asian Tour has been an important part of the league's attempts to establish a pathway for players outside its existing roster.

Through the Asian Tour's International Series, players have been able to earn their way towards LIV rather than simply being invited in.

Again, it is another distinction that matters.

One of the fundamental criticisms levelled at LIV since its inception has been that it is effectively a closed shop. 

Players are recruited, contracts are signed and places in the league are not necessarily determined by what happens on the golf course.

That is rather different from the traditional tour model, where players can earn promotion, lose their cards and work their way up through recognised developmental pathways.

LIV has attempted to address that criticism through its own promotion and relegation mechanisms, as well as its relationship with the Asian Tour.

But the OWGR has never regarded those measures as a complete solution.

When it granted LIV restricted recognition, the ranking body pointed to concerns over the league's promotion and relegation system and the limited number of opportunities available to players from outside LIV.

That brings us to the rather unfortunate timing of the Asian Tour's new relationship with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

With the Asian Tour moving closer towards golf's established tours, LIV is losing the pathway that has helped demonstrate that its ecosystem is not entirely closed.

And now it likely needs to replace it. 

But with who?

Reduced schedule

The pathway issue is not the only potential problem.

OWGR rules also require recognised tours to have a minimum number of counting events for their Order of Merit.

The figure that matters here is 10.

And that is particularly interesting because LIV's planned 2027 schedule is expected to contain only around 10 events.

Field sizes

When the OWGR approved LIV in 2026, it was quite explicit about those shortcomings.

LIV's fields were smaller than the minimum normally required.

Its tournaments remained no-cut events.

And its methods for promoting, relegating and replacing players were not considered sufficiently merit-based.

The league's 2026 average field size was 57 players, compared with the OWGR's stated minimum of 75.

That is not an insignificant technicality.

The purpose of a world ranking is to compare players competing in very different tournaments and on different tours. 

The OWGR therefore needs to be satisfied that those tournaments provide a sufficiently reliable test of a player's ability.

When it granted LIV's application earlier in the season, the OWGR said: "As LIV Golf continues to evolve, OWGR will continue to evaluate LIV Golf against OWGR's eligibility standards."

So, could LIV actually lose its OWGR points?

Yes, it could. 

The OWGR has not said that LIV will lose its accreditation in 2027, and there is no guarantee that every proposed change to the league will ultimately happen in the form currently being discussed.

LIV could also introduce a new pathway system, alter its schedule or make other structural changes designed specifically to satisfy the ranking body's concerns.

There is therefore still a route to retaining its place in the rankings.

The problem is that LIV may now have to prove its case all over again.

When the OWGR finally gave the league points, it did so despite a number of unresolved issues.

The top-10 restriction was effectively a compromise: LIV's results mattered, but not to the same extent as results on fully compliant tours.

For 2027, LIV has to demonstrate that its new model still provides enough competitive depth, enough events and - perhaps most importantly - enough opportunity for players to earn their places.

If it cannot, then surviving as a golf league and surviving as an OWGR-recognised golf league could become two very different things.