Greg Norman Puts The World Golf Rankings On Blast After LIV Golf ‘s Electric Chicago Tournament

Greg Norman Puts The World Golf Rankings On Blast After LIV Golf 's Electric Chicago Tournament

Getty Image / Joe Scarnici / LIV Golf


Objectively speaking, the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago had arguably the best leaderboard of any LIV event so far. LIV Golf newcomer and #3 ranked golfer in the world, Cameron Smith, won the Chicago Invitational at -13 and took home $4,000,000 for first place.

Former World #1 Dustin Johnson finished tied for 2nd with Peter Uihlein and earned $1,812,500. Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau all recorded top-10 finishes as well. It was a star-studded leaderboard and one that LIV was clearly waiting for with rocky starts in previous events from Mickelson and other stars.

After the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago, LIV’s CEO Greg Norman took to social media to put the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) on blast. He shared his thoughts on Instagram and in a since-deleted tweet, claiming that the official world golf rankings are open to criticism after LIV’s success.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman puts Official World Golf Rankings on blast and questions their legitimacy.

Here is LIV CEO Greg Norman’s Instagram post about OWGR:

If that caption isn’t loading for you, here’s what it says:

“Who’s questioning the real #1 & #2 in the world? On top of that they are happy. Their families are happy. Their wives are happy. Their caddies are happy. The #LIVGolf team is a family. Everyone is in this together. This has never happened on the PGA Tour. As Cam Smith has said, we have given golf a heartbeat.

The fans hold us all accountable. They are holding the PGA Tour accountable. They are holding the OWGR accountable. How can the OWGR ignore the fact that the two best players in the world – @cameronsmithgolf and @dustinjohnsongolf – play on the @livgolfinv tour? When the fans speak, listen. Golf is a force for good.”

What is Greg Norman’s beef with the Official World Golf Rankings?

Currently, LIV Golf Invitational events are not awarded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. Cameron Smith has already dropped from #2 to #3 in the OWGR standings since joining LIV Golf. Dustin Johnson has slipped to #23 in the world.

The tours that are awarded OWGR points include the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. And points are awarded for ‘high finishes’ on the Korn Ferry Tour, Challenge Tour, and the PGA Tour Canada.

The number of points awarded per event fluctuates, but there are zero points awarded for any LIV Golf Invitational events. Many argue that because LIV is essentially a closed tour that is ‘invitation only’ without means to qualify, it isn’t deserving of OWGR points.

Why dos this all matter for LIV Golf?

In order for golfers on the LIV Golf Tour to remain eligible to compete in golf’s four major championships down the line, they will need to accrue OWGR points or have to qualify like local pros. For many members on the LIV Tour, it’s not a concern right now because they have had exemptions for a few years.

However, in the very near future, there will come a time when none of these players will be eligible to compete in all four majors and that’s bad for the LIV business. Hence why LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman wants to ‘hold them accountable’ and start having OWGR points awarded at LIV Invitational events.

Will it happen? A year ago, all of this was pretty inconceivable. These days there’s no telling what the future of golf holds.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.