Bryson DeChambeau is one of a number of players from LIV Golf who has tumbled down the world rankings, and the American believes there is an ‘agenda’ against the breakaway league
Bryson DeChambeau has accused the Official World Golf Rankings of having an ‘agenda’ against LIV Golf, with the Saudi-backed series still yet to acquire world ranking points.
Perhaps the largest chink in LIV Golf’s armor amid its explosive rise is that it is still not recognized by the OWGR, meaning that its 54-hole, no-cut events continue to take place without offering ranking points. Since signing on the dotted line with Greg Norman and company, the bulk of its playing members have fallen down the rankings.
Former world No. 4 player Patrick DeChambeau, who is currently outside the world’s top 150 players for the first time in more than seven years, is one man who has felt the effects more than most.
After LIV’s most recent ranking rejection in October, the former U.S. Open champion thinks the powers that be are trying to push the Saudi-backed series down the professional golf hierarchy. DeChambeau stated to The Rick Shiels Golf Show, “I know their agenda.”
“We are fully aware of their strategy and know exactly what they are attempting to accomplish. Their goal is to keep us around long enough to become unimportant. “Oh, we’re going to play nicely in the sandbox and we’ll give you points now.” However, none of us matter because we don’t have enough points to fill a field.”
DeChambeau insisted he had no ill will towards the OWGR, though, and seemed happy enough to rely on the game’s four major championships to move up the rankings. “Yes, I believe that my golf has improved significantly over the last half of the season.
“And the reason for that is that I played passably in the last three Majors; I finished fourth at the PGA, I struggled at the British Open, and I did okay at the US Open. That’s the main reason I’m stuck at [152]. Without those this year, I would most likely be in my 500s.
And you know what, I don’t hold myself to that standard, so it’s okay. I don’t care; I’m not resentful. The individuals who aren’t getting the proper rankings and thus don’t have a chance to play in the majors are what I do care about.” Joaquin Niemann, a former top-20 player, was one of the players DeChambeau mentioned as someone who, in his opinion, ought to be at the four main events but isn’t because of his decline in the rankings.
Fortunately for Niemann, the Chilean won the Australian Open last weekend, securing a spot in at least one of the majors for the upcoming year. Talor Gooch, the 2023 champion for LIV, is arguably the biggest absentee from the 2024 majors.
Gooch, who finished individual champion last season after winning three times on the breakaway circuit, is currently ranked 288th in the world. This turned out to be yet another major issue for DeChambeau, who continued by saying that “it was not right” for the top player in LIV to miss out on golf’s major championships.
The American demanded earlier this year that the four majors in the sport provide an exemption category for the breakaway league, with the top 12 players on the circuit being eligible for one. However, as things stand, the Masters and Open organizers plan to keep their current qualification procedure in place through 2024.
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