LIV Golf captains in for major 'relegation zone' shock as league steps up pursuit for OWGR points

LIV Golf is reportedly considering a major change to its 'drop zone' format where its captains are concerned in a bid to finally earn crucial Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

The breakaway multi-billion Saudi golf league has been shut out of receiving valuable OWGR points ever since its inception in 2022.

LIV Golf now without question has a handful of the world's best players on its roster including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton and Brooks Koepka. 

But the world's best on LIV are only able to make ground in the world rankings when it comes to the four majors, or when they get a chance to compete on either the DP World Tour and Asian Tour. 

Officials on the OWGR board have previously denied LIV Golf League events from earning points as a result of their 54-hole format, limited fields, shotgun starts, and most importantly 'lack of player pathways to the league' along with 'player turnover and field variance between events'. 

But according to the latest update from Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig, some major changes are being discussed by newly-appointed LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil around how players are relegated and promoted to the league.

Currently as it stands this season, all captains of LIV Golf League teams cannot be relegated even if they find themselves in the 'drop zone'. That's a result of their chunky contracts that tie them down to the league each season. 

This happened to RangeGoats GC captain and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson last season, but he was let back on the league for 2025 without even having to even re-qualify via the end-of-year LIV Promotions event. 

Any players currently ranked 49th or lower in the individual standings on the LIV Golf League find themselves in the dreaded 'drop zone'. 

Last season, all players (other than captains) that ended up in the 'drop zone' had to either re-qualify via LIV Promotions at the end of the year, or hope to be re-signed by their captain. 

The winner of LIV Promotions earns a spot on the league the following season. 

Last season's winner was Chieh-PoLee, aka Max Lee. 

Another promotion spot to LIV is offered up via the International Series on the Asian Tour, although that series was won by Niemann in 2024 and so nobody got promoted. 

Some critics consider that was a slightly bizarre rule and should have been opened up for the next unexempt player. 

But according to golf writer Harig of SI, big changes are now in the works on LIV where relegation and its captains are concerned in a bid to finally appease the OWGR board. 

Captains may no longer be safe from the axe. 

"The LIV Golf League is strongly considering a change to its existing format that will require all players who fall into its relegation zone to play a qualifying event to earn their spot back, even if they are one of the team captains," writes Harig for Sports Illustrated. 

"The move is viewed as a way to appeal to the Official World Golf Ranking, which previously denied an application for accreditation, citing playing pathways to the league as well as player turnover and field variance between events as being reasons that LIV’s format doesn’t work."

The update from Harig follows a Sportico report after The Masters that confirmed LIV is in 'advanced talks' to secure OWGR points. 

Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman succeeded Peter Dawson as the chairman of the OWGR in April, and Sportico understands the South African met with LIV Golf's new chief executive O'Neil at Augusta National. 

Some critics believe the decision to even entertain the Saudi-bankrolled league on the OWGR roster has come three years too late, especially when you look at the majority of LIV player positions in the OWGR today.

Yes, someone like former World No.1 and two-time major champion Dustin Johnson has not been playing particularly well of late, but there's no way he deserves to be ranked 751st in the world, for example. 

Then you've got someone like Sergio Garcia, a player who has been racking up some very solid performances over the past 12 months on LIV Golf, yet the European Ryder Cup hero looks on from the 419th rung of the ladder. 

Captains could now get relegated if they end up in the 'drop zone' in a bid to earn OWGR points

If the new rules and regulations that are being discussed were set in stone and the LIV Golf season was to end this week, then Majesticks GC co-captain Lee Westwood would be the only skipper getting booted from the league. 

Westwood, 52, currently finds himself in 53rd position after a shocking start to the season by his own high standards as a 25-time European Tour winner. 

The Englishman, who is ranked an incredible 4,552nd in the OWGR right now, has yet to register a single top-20 in any of the limited-field LIV Golf events this season. 

Westwood joined LIV in 2022, and he then went on to tear up his membership of the European Tour where he had been associated for the majority of his professional career. 

Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter is also close to relegation right now, just four spots outside the 'drop zone'. 

Poulter, 49, was another high-profile European Tour player to terminate his card in 2023. 

Poulter is ranked 1,476th in the OWGR. 

Check out the current LIV standings here

As it stands, according to OWGR chairman Immelman, LIV Golf has not yet formerly re-applied to earn world ranking points.

Previous LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman had applied three years ago, but access was firmly denied by the OWGR board. 

"They have not put any application in," Immelman told the AP last week. 

"Whether that happens or not, I guess time will tell. I have enjoyed getting to know Scott O’Neil over the last few months. 

"We’ve spoken on the phone a couple of times. We met in person at the Masters, just really introduction stuff. We’re in the same position we have been without any application from their side. 

"The ball is in their court."

A number of LIV Golf players have either earned their way into the PGA Championship field next week, or they have been invited.

Johnson was arguably the most fortunate of all the LIV Golf player invites into golf's second major of the season.

His five-year exemption into the PGA Championship ended last season. 

The decision to invite Johnson to this year's PGA has certainly ruffled a few feathers on golf social media, as too has inviting an equally out-of-form Rickie Fowler.

Where do you stand on LIV captains getting relegated from the league? 

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