Spanish golfer Jon Rahm declared this Wednesday, after the first day of the Riyadh tournament, that he thinks it's "fantastic" that the LIV Golf Tour tournaments count towards the world ranking, although he clarified that he doesn't think it's fair that it only affects the top ten and tied finishers in each tournament because he doesn't like that it's not treated "the same as the other tournaments."
Jon Rahm, statements
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), the institution responsible for compiling the ranking of the best golfers, announced this Tuesday that it has decided to award world ranking points to LIV Golf tournaments for the 2026 season.
However, ranking points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers (and ties) in individual tournaments, which acknowledges that there are a number of areas in which LIV does not meet the eligibility criteria established by the OWGR.
“It’s fantastic that we’re accumulating points. It’s fantastic that we’re being recognized in some way. That said, I don’t like that we’re not being treated the same as the other tournaments. It seems like the established rules don’t really apply to us, since only 10 of us are getting points. I don’t think that’s fair. In tournaments (on other tours) with smaller entries throughout the year, the players get all the points,” he said.
“There’s work to be done. While it’s good for some people, it could cause some players to lose points in the world rankings instead of gaining them, because finishing 11th is basically a missed cut, and we’re already adding to the divisor,” the Spaniard added.
Despite everything, Rahm is “grateful that LIV Golf has gotten a foot in the door” and that there’s a possibility that LIV will be recognized “as a tour, as it should be.”
