Cameron Smith criticises golf rankings; Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau also speak out

ByJames Hilsum

Published 13/10/2023 at 08:48 GMT+1

Some of the biggest names on the LIV Golf tour have spoken out against the decision made by the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) to not award ranking points to LIV players. Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau have all criticised the decision, with Smith saying: "I think it [OWGR] is almost obsolete now". The final LIV event of the season begins in Jeddah on Friday.

Cameron Smith has called golf’s world rankings "almost obsolete now".

The Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) chairman Peter Dawson confirmed earlier this week that LIV Golf players will not earn ranking points.

And former Open champion Smith - among other LIV players - has criticised the decision.

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"I think it [OWGR] is almost obsolete now," said Smith in quotes published by the BBC.

"We've got some guys out here who are playing some of the best golf in the world and they're outside the top 100, 200 in the world. It's pretty ridiculous."

These sentiments were echoed by Dustin Johnson, who won both the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters.

"I feel like you can't really use the world ranking system any more," he added.

"Hard to use the world ranking system if you're excluding 48 guys that are good players. The rankings are skewed."

OWGR chairman Dawson confirmed the decision to deny LIV’s application for ranking status in a letter to LIV chief executive Greg Norman, and chief operating officer Gary Davidson.

An extract from the letter read: "The board committee does not believe it is equitable to thousands of players who strive every day to get starts in OWGR-eligible tournaments to have a tour operate in this mostly closed fashion."

Former Masters winner Patrick Reed also rounded on the decision, and believes LIV players are being unfairly discriminated against for playing on a different tour.

"Obviously it's disappointing," he added.

"Until the actual world ranking reflects the actual top players in the world, then to me it's just kind of a broken system. Just because we play on a different tour, it shouldn't matter."

Bryson DeChambeau

Image credit: Getty Images

2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau urged the majors on the PGA Tour to bypass the ranking system and find other ways to select players.

He said: “We would love to find another way to be integrated into the major championship system.

"I think we have some of the best players in the world. Top 12 on the list, the money list at the end of the year or the points list at the end of the year would be, I think, obvious for the major championships to host the best players in the world at those four events each year."

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