Last weekend marked the fourth LIV Golf event of the year and with it came the fourth different winner of the year, too. Talor Gooch, a 31-year-old who was inside the world’s top 50 when he made the switch from the PGA Tour to LIV, won the event with a mammoth score of -19.
The three previous events of 2023 were won by Charles Howell, Danny Lee and Brooks Koepka, showcasing the depth of talent on the new Saudi-backed tour.
Ahead of the tour’s next event, which is taking place this weekend in Singapore, two of its most successful and famous players – Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson – have had their say on an issue that is continuing to harm LIV players; world ranking points.
As things currently stand, players aren’t able to earn world ranking points via LIV events which has resulted in every player on the tour sliding down the rankings. The key reason why this is a problem for LIV golfers is the fact that major tournament qualification largely comes down to world ranking position, particularly if you aren’t eligible to be invited back as a previous winner.
Mickelson’s and Watson’s solution
While LIV officials are continuing to battle with the powers that be about the situation, Mickelson and Watson have offered their solution to the problem. Mickelson, who has won six majors throughout his illustrious career, said:
“We have to come up with a qualifying mechanism that is inclusive, and if the World Golf Ranking isn’t going to be inclusive, then they have to find another way. They’re going to have to find a way to get the best LIV players in their field if they want to have the best field in golf and be really what a major championship is about.
If the World Golf Rankings doesn’t find a way to be inclusive, then the majors will just find another way to include LIV because it’s no longer a credible way. So it will all iron itself out for the simple reason that it’s in the best interest of everybody, especially the tournaments, the majors, to have the best players.”
Phil Mickelson is extremely bullish after the Adelaide event.
“There’s no stopping LIV Golf now, it’s on a vertical trajectory and it’s really exciting to be a part of it.” pic.twitter.com/HgNX3gMXg7
— LIV Golf Latest (@LIVGolfLatest) April 26, 2023
Meanwhile, Watson, who is a two-time major champion himself, added:
“Forget World Ranking points about who plays at what tournament, this tournament is better than that tournament – no. Your tour, your league, call it a day and at those places play against each other four times a year.
If you’re saying these tournaments are the best in the world, you’ve got to have the best there. To keep them out or to make them lose World Ranking points is not the right way to go.”
A problem that needs to be resolved soon
At the first major of 2023, the Masters, 18 LIV golfers took part and many of them performed exceptionally well, including Mickelson who finished in a tie for 3rd. Brooks Koepka, another LIV player, led the tournament until the final round before being pipped to the post by Jon Rahm on the final day.
Despite LIV’s strong showing at Augusta National, there could be as few as nine players at the 2024 event based on current qualifying criteria. For the remaining majors this season, ten LIV players will tee it up at the PGA Championship next month, seven will play at the US Open in June and eleven will play at the Open Championship in July.
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