Jon Rahm outlines what steps he believes LIV Golf need to take for OWGR accreditation

Jon Rahm has outlined what steps he believes LIV Golf need to take in order for the PIF-backed breakaway to be recognised by the sport's global rankings body. 

The Official World Golf Ranking confirmed LIV Golf lodged a fresh bid for accreditation on 30 June. 

OWGR chairman and former Masters champion Trevor Immelman has promised the application will be reviewed by the board with the same scrutiny and fairness as other tours. 

LIV previously tried - and failed - to receive OWGR recognition and it resulted in the circuit withdrawing their bid entirely. 

Details of what changes have been proposed with their latest application appear to be a closely guarded secret. 

Rahm told reporters before LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club that, at the very least, they need to be allowed into the system. 

"I think the way I see it, at least right now, there's a process to hopefully enter those world-ranking points and at least get our foot in the door," Rahm said.  

"And then once we're allowed, we can see what changes can be made to earn as many as possible, keeping the integrity of what LIV Golf is about.

"Examples of that would be, let's say with whatever we're doing currently we get 20 points. If you add a fourth round, you go to 25. 

"Is that worth it? Is that not worth it? If you add a cut, things like that. Right now with as little players as we have, I don't see a cut working very well, and with the teams I think it would be a little odd.

"But if the league were to expand and let's say you go to 15 teams, you have 60 players, now you can actually possibly make something work."

LIV Golf initially launched with 12 teams but moved to 13 for the 2024 season to accommodate Rahm's Legion XIII. 

"There's many possibilities that I can think of," he said. 

"By the way, this is completely hypothetical because I haven't spoken to anybody about it, but there's things we could do I think to add more world rankings points if we need it. 

"And I'm sure there's more that I can't think of that the folks at OWGR and maybe Scott [O'Neil, LIV's chief executive] or the front of the LIV office can probably tell us about to give us a little bit more of strength of field."

Rahm on Ryder Cup hopes

Jon Rahm's high-profile switch to LIV Golf in December 2023 complicated his Ryder Cup prospects. 

In order for golfers to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team, they must be members of the DP World Tour. 

Rahm never resigned his membership and it was widely assumed the Spaniard would instruct his team to pay off the fines incurred for competing in LIV Golf events. 

But the 2023 Masters champ said he had absolutely no intention of paying the fines whatsoever. Likewise Tyrrell Hatton. 

The pair are both appealing their sanctions but it is understood their cases won't be heard until after this September's contest at Bethpage Black. 

Critics say the Wentworth-based circuit are deliberately giving the pair favourable treatment by kicking the can down the road. 

It seems improbable that Europe could become the first team to win on away soil since 2012 without Rahm and Hatton on the team. 

Has he been told by European skipper Luke Donald that he's part of his plans?

"There's nothing I can confirm nor deny," Rahm said. 

"But I think he has been texting me like he has been texting quite a few other players that are on that list of the possibility of getting picked.

"Luke is extremely dedicated and very well-organized as a captain, so I think there's six automatic and then six picks, right, so there's probably about at least 10 names on top of those guys who are qualified that he's probably constantly texting.

"He might have told some people that they're... I don't think he's actually told anybody they're in yet because it's too early. 

"He's probably waiting until the end of August through the playoffs and our events to maybe start making statements like that. 

"In my case, I think I'm just one more of those many names."