Getty Image / Michael Reaves
Bryson DeChambeau is absolutely one of the 50 best golfers in the world. He won twice on the LIV Golf Tour last year, finished t4 at the PGA Championship, and he shot a 58 last season on the LIV Golf Tour. Denying that he’s one of the 50 best golfers in the world is to deny reality.
Appearing on LIV Golf’s Fairway to Heaven podcast, Bryson DeChambeau was asked by Jerry Foltz and Su-Ann Heng if he believes he’s a top 50 golfer and it led to Bryson sounding off on OWGR‘s hypocrisy. This comes as an extension of LIV CEO Greg Norman called out OWGR earlier in the week.
Bryson DeChambeau On OWGR
Bryson DeChambeau: “They said ‘you need certain requirements’, we have fulfilled all those requirements, despite what everybody thinks. If you go look at their handbook, we have fulfilled every single criteria. It’s been over 2 years now. What’s going on guys?”
“It’s a bit frustrating, but nothing we can do at this moment. If we showcase ourselves in the major championships there’s no way they can keep us out. We just got to play well in the majors and once we do, they have no choice.”
LIV Golf was denied OWGR points in October, 2023. OWGR posted a copy of the denial letter sent to LIV CEO Greg Norman on their website for the whole world to read.
In the letter, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson wrote “The (OWGR) Board Committee has determined the current structure (of LIV) is not consistent with the underlying principles of fairness and meritocracy on which the OWGR system is based.”
This is very interesting language and it’s also the reason Bryson DeChambeau has a legitimate gripe with OWGR’s denial. They say ‘underlying principles’ and ‘meritocracy’ which are not actually part of the ‘OWGR handbook’ referenced by Bryson DeChambeau.
On the OWGR website, they have a very lengthy page devoted to ‘How The Ranking System Works‘ and there are no mentions of ‘underlying principles’ or ‘meritocracy’ anywhere on the page. That’s fine, those are specific terms. But there’s also no mention anywhere of criteria that should exclude LIV Golf from receiving OWGR points.
OWGR chairman Peter Dawson also wrote “Simply put, the Board Committee does not believe it equitable to thousands of players who strive every day to get starts in OWGR Eligible Tournaments to have a tour operate in this mostly closed fashion where it is not possible to fairly assess what it means to win a LIV event relative to other tournaments around the world.”
‘Mostly closed’ is wrong. LIV Golf now has qualifiers. They added three players in December who made the tour through the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi.
LIV is open to reapply for OWGR points, which they should. But at this point it seems OWGR risks losing its stranglehold on golf if they don’t allow LIV in as Bryson’s correct, they have met the necessary criteria.
OWGR expressed concern over simultaneous team and individual competitions taking place which seems like the easiest obstacle in the world to move past. Just assess the stroke play. It’s that simple.
I used to be someone who would get emails from readers calling me a ‘Bryson Hater’ (maybe I was) or a ‘LIV detractor’ (I probably was). The times have changed. I’ve changed. The sport has changed. LIV Golf is fielding tournaments worthy of OWGR points. If those points are denied then the Major Championships need to find a new ranking system.