Question of the week [July 14-21]: What do you believe LIV Golf needs to change in order to receive Official World Golf Ranking points?
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I am not an expert on LIV Golf, but here is an opinion on what I do know about LIV Golf.
It should be individual golf, not team golf. There should be some type of qualifying to play LIV Golf like the old Q-School, instead of just taking a check to the bank and once deposited you are a LIV member.
LIV should be in business for at least five years. Bigger fields.
Al Vaughn
Charlotte, North Carolina
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Let the PGA Tour or DP World Tour send one or two a four-players teams into LIV Golf's tournaments to meet the requirement for open participation.
Martin Donnelly
Elmhurst, Illinois
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When the American Football League (AFL), American Basketball Association (ABA) and World Hockey League (WHL) were created in the 1960s and 1970s to rival the NFL, NBA and NHL, respectively, they did not try to alter the frameworks of the accepted competition criteria.
The AFL, for example, did not play only for three quarters or on a 75-yard field. It played four quarters and on a 100-yard field. By respecting the accepted competition frameworks, these leagues did not lose the core audience of each respective sport, and ultimately merged with the incumbent league.
The core golf audience seems to have no interest in watching or attending a professional golf format that is essentially “Senior Tour Lite,” 54 holes and no cut. At least the 50-and-over tour looks professional during its competitions — no shorts, shotgun starts, blaring music and team competitions that have no real meaning.
So, if LIV Golf wants Official World Ranking Points, it needs to take a page from the AFL, ABA, WHL and play the recognized competition for men’s and women’s professional golf, a 72-hole tournament. Otherwise, seek to be the Savannah Bananas of golf, just try to entertain, and forget about real competition.
Ric Clarson
Dallas, Texas
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LIV Golf needs to understand that avid longtime golfers like me are not interested in team golf. No one cares; it's not a team sport. Plus, watching a bunch of guys in shorts play golf can be seen on any golf course in America.
LIV Golf needs to recognize that the viewing public is simply not interested in the LIV product, as evidenced by the weak viewing numbers every week. Moreover, both LIV and the PGA Tour need to scrap any reconciliation since it has not happened in the past two years, nor is any agreement pending.
No one cares.
Bill Arnett
Wake Forest, North Carolina
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It’s actually very simple for LIV Golf if it really wants world ranking points and accreditation.
Have a cut after 36 holes, play 72-hole tournaments. Expand beyond 54. Shotgun starts aren’t as big of an albatross, but usually the leaders tee off in the last group and that affects how everyone plays the final round — scoreboard watching.
I think LIV could be called a failure at this point. Greg Norman wanted some measure of revenge on the PGA Tour after his brilliant idea to have a World Tour back in the 1990s was rebuffed by PGA Tour commish Tim Finchem, who then went out and started the World Golf Championships with no cut for the top 70 or so players. But in some ways Norman was right, and he found Phil Mickelson to take on the battle vs. the PGA Tour.
Yes, as fans, we all want to see the best players play against each other every week as much as possible for as much prestige and money beyond the four majors every year. The PGA Tour now has signature events with $20 million purses and the Players Championship has a $25 million purse. Those are good things.
The PGA Tour is the best for legacy and depth of fields and difficulty to make. In reality, LIV Golf only has maybe five to six players that anybody would care to watch in a major or any tournament — Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm being the big two obvious choices who deserve a high world golf ranking. Then it’s probably Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka, maybe Tyrell Hatton and Cameron Smith. Dustin Johnson seems past his prime now, so I hope they can come to some agreement so we see the best play in deep fields for 72 holes.
Also, I think most fans really don’t care about team golf as LIV tries way too hard to promote that aspect like we are going to root for a team like the Formula 1 racing model. It just doesn’t work in golf, so I hope LIV fades away into irrelevance.
Andrew Doll
San Francisco, California
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My hunch is if LIV Golf had turnover or qualification of a dozen players or so each year, the OWGR would assign points to its tour.
To get to that number, each of the 13 teams could protect three of its four players. The top three teams could protect all four of its players. That yields 42 protected and earned spots, with annual openings of 10 team and two wildcard players. The two wildcard players could protect their spots if they are in the top 39 of LIV Golf rankings. In that case, only 10 openings would exist. Those wildcard players might even be selected to become team players,
Yes, a bit of a Rube Goldberg design, but something that yields 10 to 12 openings each year would probably satisfy the OWGR. Not saying this suggestion is perfect, but a starter for discussion purposes.
Steve Rosenbaum Sr.
Oak Lawn, Illinois
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LIV golfers can never receive Official World Golf Ranking points unless the way their points are earned is in an identical format to how golfers on the PGA, European and the various other world tours earn theirs
How can points earned by LIV golfers playing a 54 hole team competitions be comparable to individual golfers in a PGA or R&A event played over 72 holes?
If a solution is to found, then it needs to be apples to apples, not apples to pears.
Mike Wilson
Innerleithen, Scotland
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Pretty much everything. The format is just plain silly: Shotgun starts, three-day tournaments, teams, no cuts and weak fields. It's more like a muni men's club beer league than a legit professional tour.
Tom Klabunde
Tempe, Arizona
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In order to receive world ranking points, LIV Golf events need to be comparable in length (four days) and format to both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Team and match play events would still qualify.
Charley Griswold
Asheville, North Carolina
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I've been giving some thought to LIV Golf and its scoring system, and I'd like to share my perspective. The absence of a cut and the awarding of points after only three rounds raises some interesting questions regarding competitive fairness and the overall comparison to established tours like the PGA and European tours.
My concern isn't about the players' individual talent or their right to compete, but rather a comparative analysis of the competitive pressures faced. The reduced field size and absence of a cut mean LIV golfers face less pressure to perform consistently throughout a tournament. The frequency of events, spaced roughly every two to three weeks, also reduces the cumulative pressure of a demanding schedule seen on the PGA and European tours. This difference in pressure, coupled with the different scoring mechanisms, makes direct comparisons between player performance on the different tours inherently complex.
It's not simply a matter of comparing individual scores; the context of the competitive environments needs careful consideration. Ultimately, it's a matter of understanding how to evaluate performance across different formats and competitive frameworks. I believe a more nuanced discussion on the merit-based allocation of prize money and points is necessary to appreciate the unique challenges and opportunities presented by each tour.
Stephen Pratt
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
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It is quite simple. LIV Golf should meet the same standards as any other organization that acquires points for its participants.
Lets face it, LIV Golf is here to stay. For those who don't like it because of the battle with the PGA Tour, its break with the normal traditions of golf tournaments, and the method it uses to recruit players, it is time to get over it and move on. I don't watch LIV Golf, I have tried and just can't get interested in the format and circus environment. With the quality of their players, the league has the level of competition to acquire points — more so than other organizations that are in the OWGR.
That said, to me they need to move to a 72-hole format to acquire points. I have read and heard comments that the team format it plays is a factor in the points ranking question. I don't see it. LIV needs to move to a 72-hole format and the players need to meet the number of required tournaments to recieve standings in the OWGR.
We should all want to see the best players compete in the majors.
Rick Garrison
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
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Front: Individual champion Talor Gooch and caddie Mal Baker, center; Jon Rahm and caddie Adam Hayes, left; and Abraham Ancer and caddie Ramon Bescansa, right, during the LIV Golf Andalucía's trophy ceremony at Real Club Valderrama on July 13, 2025, in San Roque, Spain.
Photo: Mateo Villalba | Golffile