The Official World Golf Ranking announced on February 3, 2026, that LIV Golf events will receive world ranking points starting with this week's season opener in Riyadh, marking a significant but restricted milestone for the Saudi-backed league. Only the top 10 finishers in each event will earn points, a decision that has drawn criticism from LIV for being unprecedented and unfair. The move addresses long-standing concerns over major championship eligibility while highlighting ongoing differences in league structures.
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) governing board unanimously approved LIV Golf's membership application after months of negotiations, ending a saga that began with the league's initial rejection in October 2023. LIV withdrew its bid in March 2024 due to issues with promotion and relegation but resubmitted in July 2025, leading to this compromise. Effective immediately, points will be allocated only to the top 10 finishers and ties in LIV's individual stroke play events, classified as 'small-field tournaments' due to the league's 57-player fields, no-cut format, and limited pathways.
OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman described the process as 'incredibly complex and challenging,' emphasizing the need for equity among thousands of players on established tours. 'We fully recognized the need to rank the top men’s players in the world but at the same time had to find a way of doing so that was equitable,' Immelman stated. The decision cites LIV's average field size below the 75-player minimum, exclusive no-cut events, restrictive entry via promotions and the Asian Tour's International Series, self-selection of players, and recent team changes based on nationality, such as the replacement of Japan's Jinichiro Kozuma with an all-Korean lineup for a rebranded team.
For context, the projected points for the Riyadh winner total about 23, comparable to a PGA Tour opposite-field event winner, far less than the 59 points for the Waste Management Phoenix Open victor. LIV Golf acknowledged the 'long-overdue' recognition but called the restrictions 'unprecedented,' noting that no other tour limits points to top finishers. 'Under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th,' the league's statement read, vowing to advocate for a more performance-based system.
The PGA Tour responded curtly, respecting the OWGR's decision while preserving its meritocratic pathways. This partial inclusion eases major eligibility for top LIV performers like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, though alternative qualifiers remain key for most. Projections suggest 11 LIV players could enter the OWGR top 100 if retroactively applied, with Rahm at No. 11 and DeChambeau at No. 14, but climbing to top-50 for exemptions will require consistent excellence amid the limited points.
