LIV Golf’s path to OWGR factors is clearer now, however they could not prefer it

In another yr, this might not be information. However as 2022 winds to an in depth, it’s the information of the day. The Official World Golf Rating has awarded eligibility for rating factors to a different golf tour. Simply not the tour you’re pondering of. 

The OWGR introduced Wednesday that the Gira de Golf Skilled de Mexicana will start to earn world rating factors on January 8, 2023. (You’re allowed to reread that sentence.) A golf tour known as Gira de Golf Skilled de Mexicana has joined the opposite 23 sanctioned excursions the world over and can now have its occasions awarded rating factors. Why are you imagined to care? 

As a result of that’s not the tour we anticipated to affix the OWGR subsequent. However the context is essential for understanding what comes subsequent. LIV Golf was on deck, most everybody thought. Not fairly! 

The OWGR board sometimes requires one to 2 years between receiving an utility for world rating factors after which rewarding gamers in its occasions with these factors. As for the GdGPdM, that course of performed out over 16 months, which implies the tour utilized in late summer season 2021, a full 10 months earlier than LIV Golf filed its personal utility. 

Whereas a lot as that will set off some ire for the staunchest LIV supporters, the transfer by the OWGR ought to include loads of optimism for the brand new golf league. For starters, the newly authorized tour hosts 54-hole occasions, similar to LIV Golf. If the PGA Tour is caught on 72 holes, that’s positive. LIV’s 54-hole occasions would have neighborhood within the rating. 

An vital addendum to that’s the newly authorized Mexico-based tour institutes a minimize after 36 holes, which LIV Golf doesn’t. Is it vital to the OWGR that there’s a minimize, the place insufficient performances are degraded? It may be. You see it nearly in all places else. 

One other sticking level for OWGR acceptance has been entry. LIV Golf fields in 2022 have been largely stuffed by hand-picked picks of prepared gamers, in addition to contracted gamers who had signed annual agreements. And a few of these agreements for a number of years. With a hard and fast variety of gamers (48) concerned, how are youthful gamers, up-and-coming gamers, and even veteran gamers reaching their peak going to realize entry to the occasions LIV places on? There’s not a lot for a transparent path. 

The Gira de Golf tour hosts an annual, open qualifying college for gamers all in favour of taking part in on its tour. In different phrases, you are able to do it. Anybody can do it. It’s an vital differentiator that checks one of many OWGR’s bins. 

“It is a important milestone for golf and OWGR is deeply inspired by the achievement and the continued efforts within the development of the game of golf in Mexico,” OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson stated. “We sit up for watching the progress of Gira de Golf Skilled de Mexicana because it continues to play a key function within the improvement of gamers from the area.”

It goes with out saying that the GdGPdM is on a special stage than LIV Golf. The standard of participant differs drastically. And thus LIV supporters consider the OWGR must act in a a lot faster vogue to reward eligibility. However Chairman Dawson has been notably quiet with regard to LIV Golf’s utility, which was filed in July. If it have been to trace alongside the identical timetable, maybe LIV may start awarding OWGR factors late in 2023. That will seemingly be too late for its 2023 season, which is anticipated to complete in September.

Within the meantime, life goes on in professional golf, however not with out consternation concerning the OWGR. Simply earlier this month, the OWGR was placed on blast for a way a 20-person discipline on the Hero World Problem was receiving factors. The month prior that was headlined by the DP World Tour Championship — which had a 50-player discipline with lots of the finest on the planet — receiving fewer factors than the RSM Basic, taking part in out in America with a deeper discipline and fewer high 20 gamers. Jon Rahm sounded off. So did Tiger Woods. The decision we acquired? Nothing greater than further reminders about how the system works.

For now, we should wait, and wait, and wait…maybe so long as the Gira de Golf tour did.