LIV Golf has utilized once more to be included within the Official World Golf Rating, with none indication the way it will function in another way from when their first utility was rejected practically two years in the past.
The OWGR mentioned in a press release Friday it had obtained the applying and has began the evaluate course of to decided if the Saudi-funded league of 54 gamers could be included.
“The OWGR Board is dedicated to a radical analysis means of all purposes, and LIV’s utility might be reviewed in accordance with OWGR’s standards to make sure equity, integrity and consistency,” the OWGR mentioned in a press release.
The OWGR board has an annual assembly subsequent week on the Open.
The OWGR denied the primary utility in October 2023 — the primary full yr of the league — saying it couldn’t pretty measure LIV Golf with two dozen different excursions world wide due to what amounted to a closed store, together with the person competitors probably being compromised by scores counting towards a workforce consequence.
LIV now has 54 gamers — 13 four-man groups and two wild playing cards — and retains the roster all season apart from alternates utilized in case of damage.
Different excursions have varied types of qualifying that permit for modifications within the area amongst a bigger membership. LIV started a “promotions” occasion that provided three spots on the finish of 2023, however that was decreased to 1 spot final yr. The chief of the Asian Tour’s Worldwide Collection additionally will get a spot in LIV offered he isn’t already a member.
World rating factors have been seen as vital to LIV as a result of the 4 majors — all of which have a seat on the OWGR board — use the rating to assist decided the sector. The U.S. Open and Open this yr added a class for prime LIV performers. The Masters and PGA Championship use invites at their discretion to get whom they contemplate deserving.
LIV, which as soon as tried to get rating factors by changing into a part of the MENA Tour in Africa, formally withdrew its first utility in Might 2024.
Scott O’Neil has changed Greg Norman as CEO of the Saudi league. He met with Trevor Immelman, the brand new OWGR chairman on the Masters this yr, and Immelman instructed the AP he has spoken a number of instances on the cellphone with O’Neil.
Immelman had mentioned the rejection letter despatched to LIV in October 2023 was “fairly clear” with the place the board had on the time and any change would begin with LIV making use of anew.
“We admire the curiosity of LIV Golf — and all of the excursions — in contributing to the worldwide panorama of males’s skilled golf by OWGR,” the assertion mentioned.