Unofficial. That’s what the Hero World Challenge is, seen through the prism of the PGA Tour’s official calendar. Unworthy. In case you happen to see through the tinted goggles of a LIV Golf fan. Regardless, much to the agony and antipathy of the tub-thumpers of the Saudi-backed league, the Tiger Woods-hosted event continues to receive OWGR points. Meanwhile, Greg Norman’s dream project is left twisting in the wind.
Unfair? Depends on whom you ask. There are very clear reasons why LIV Golf continues to get battered at the hands of OWGR. There are also very obvious reasons why the Bahamas event, with only 20 players in the field, and despite not being an ‘official’ event in the Tour calendar, has got the ‘favor’ of the points-giving authority.
The surprising reason behind OWGR’s snub
In July, last year, LIV Golf appealed to OWGR to grant points to their players as well. The anticipation and unfounded optimism, quite predictably, came to naught. OWGR came up with an unambiguous ruling to deny points to the fledgling league. The reason? The 48-player team play format.
As per OWGR officials, they failed to measure the performance and achieve parity with other accredited leagues in the world. Denying any political hawkishness behind the decision, the official statement said, that LIV Golf’s 12-team format is not akin to the other 24 tours for which points are granted.
This is where the Hero World Challenge has an edge over the LIV Golf. Despite being a limited-field event, it follows a 72-hole stroke play format. Despite not having FedEx Cup points on offer, the November 30 event will offer players a chance to climb up the global rankings. Let’s not forget, Morikawa was on the verge of reaching no.1 spot in 2021 at the event, before squandering his chances in the final hole.
Undoubtedly, LIV Golf events feature some of the best in the world. Nevertheless, the format comes in the way of its OWGR status, which also impacts players such as Talor Gooch’s chances of playing at the Majors. Needless to say, the PIF-funded league didn’t take the snub kindly.
LIV Golf lost its faith in the OWGR’s authority
LIV Golf was quick to slam the response from the OWGR. Saying that the authority has failed in its objective of ranking the best players in the world, LIV Golf said in a statement that, “Professional golf is now without a true or global scoring and ranking system.” Notably, the team play format is also the very reason why Ryder Cup does not offer any OWGR points.
While granting points or not can be a matter of debate, how much weight is given to any event has also become a bone of contention. Most recently, the difference between OWGR points given to RSM Classic and DP World Tour Championship has ignited fresh controversy regarding OWGR’s ‘ridiculous’ points system.
Nonetheless, it’s Tiger Woods who has the last laugh as of now. For Greg Norman, it might be difficult to draw new players if OWGR points are not on offer.
