Liff Golf’s world ranking score will begin with a Saudi-funded league that applies to the official world golf rankings, and chairman Trevor Immelman said Thursday that the first step did not happen.
Immelman, who took over as OWGR chairman three weeks ago, said he spoke to LIV CEO Scott O’Neil on the phone and met him for casual conversation during the Masters.
“They didn’t make any applications,” Inmelman said in a phone interview. “I think it would prove whether this happened.
“…We are in the same position and we are not applying any of the ball from them. The ball is on their court.”
OWGR denied Liv’s original application in October 2023, saying it could not fairly measure the other two dozen traveling leagues around the world because it amounted to a closed store and was subject to the possibility of competing for calculating team scores at the same time as individual scores.
LIV withdrew its application in May 2024.
Liv now has 54 players – 13 four-man teams and 2 wildcards – which remain the same throughout the season (except for injury substitution). It started a “promotion” campaign that offered three positions at the end of 2023, but was lowered to one position last year. If he is not a member yet, then the head of the Asian Tour International Tour series also gained a spot in Liv.
O’Neil replaced Greg Norman as CEO of LIV Golf this year.
The four Grand Slams used world rankings to help determine their fields, and the heads of these organizations voted to reject Liv’s application.
This year’s U.S. Open champions have created a category that offers at least one LIV player this year. Joaquín Niemann won the place at the U.S. Open. The masters say it can get the areas you want by using special invitations.
Immelman did not say whether his meeting with O’Neil had any inclination and made another application.
“Our process is not about chasing the tour,” Emerman said. “We have an open door policy. People who want to apply are very popular. There is no pressure on us on the side. We allow these trips to figure out what their best strategy is.”
Immelman said the rejection letter sent to Liv in October 2023 by former OWGR chairman Peter Dawson was “very clear” and the board discovered the position at the time.
“I would say this is still a case,” Emerman said. “But there is really nothing we can do before we come up with a new app. If Liv Golf League wants to be part of OWGR, then they need to continue pushing another app. That’s what we do.”
