Adam Scott has remained loyal to the PGA Tour despite the rise of LIV Golf, but this has not stopped the Australian expressing his concern about the world rankings
Adam Scott has expressed his belief that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) may soon become outdated and has called for systemic changes to adapt to the dynamic nature of the professional golf industry.
With the rise of LIV Golf, the OWGR’s legitimacy has been called into question several times in the last two years. Some of the biggest names in golf signed mega-money deals with LIV, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka.
However, there has been a price to pay: the breakaway league has not yet been recognized by the OWGR, so its first two seasons have been played without the possibility to earn ranking points.
In addition to ignoring the LIV setup thus far, the ranking has come under fire for implementing a “PGA Tour-heavy” system, whereby the American circuit earns a disproportionate amount of OWGR points at its events in comparison to other circuits like the Asian Tour and DP World Tour.
In light of his position as a Player Director on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board, Scott was asked if he had heard any feedback from his fellow players about the current ranking system prior to his return for 2024. Scott is currently competing on the DP World Tour at the Dubai Desert Classic. Even though Scott appeared to benefit from OWGR on the American circuit, he also raised some concerns.
“I can see that feedback, so I don’t need to get it. I mean, I know, and I’m not sure if that’s right,” he remarked on Wednesday while in the Middle East. “Well, I believe they are in a difficult situation right now because everything in professional golf is kind of debatable and open to interpretation.
“They must identify a reliable system. If not, I worry that the World Rankings might stop being significant.” Competitors on the LIV setup have consistently expressed support for Scott’s position, with many of the major players in the Saudi-backed league falling down the rankings with no ranking points available.
Among LIV players, the term “irrelevant” has gained popularity; Cam Smith is among the most recent to employ it. He said to news.com.au last autumn, “It’s a hard one to let go but I feel like it’s almost become irrelevant, especially for how I’ve played.”
Players from the Saudi-backed league have been forced to look elsewhere for ranking points in recent months, with events on the DP World Tour, Asian Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia being the main destinations for them. Joaquin Niemann, the captain of Torque GC, is one man in the field this week in Dubai with two objectives in mind: moving up the rankings and securing a Masters spot.
Prior to the competition, Niemann told Mirror Sport, “The world rankings show that it is pretty unfair right now.” “I am traveling to Dubai for the DP World [Tour] solely to try to get into the Masters and to get [ranking] points.”
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