How much does LIV Golf have to change to get World Ranking points?

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

LIV Golf was grabbing some attention last week as they announced that all of their events moving forward would be played over 72 holes. While the LIV brass didn’t acknowledge it, most believe this is a move to fall in line with other Tours in order to be approved for World Ranking points. Do you think it’s enough or are further changes required?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): I don’t follow LIV Golf because, as you may know, I detest LIV Golf. But if I’m not mistaken, there’s still a no-cut policy with their tournaments, isn’t there?  And doesn’t “no-cut” provide a good degree of complacency for the players — as in, so what if I shot 78-78, now I still get to play the weekend and improve my OGWR ranking.  If that still applies, I don’t think it’s fair to those on other Tours who do face a cut.  Plus, wasn’t “54 holes” supposed to be one of the many points of distinction between LIV and the PGA Tour? Whatever happened to “we (LIV) have a better model?”

Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario (@craigloughry): More changes are required at LIV for legitimacy, but it’s a good start moving to 72 holes to try and get OWGR points. The quality and depth of their fields matter more than just having 72 holes played. Their bottom (LIV) players could barely play on the DP World Tour and make cuts, so I’m not sure how you could appropriately award ranking points with such fields in comparison to other Tours/Events.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): Yeah, I think this is the move that does just enough to get them some consideration for World Ranking points.  The fields are strong enough to earn points in my mind, although not to the levels of the top tours around the world.  So, they will still have to play some DP World Tour events to gain enough points to get into major tourneys.  It sounds like they are still looking to do shotgun starts, which is maybe one more change they would have to make to get to the next level.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): There’s a real dilemma here. LIV was created to be different, hence: 54 holes, shotgun starts, smaller fields, no cut and a team competition. If they compromise any of that (or all of it) to gain World Ranking points, then it’s just another Tour. Personally, I don’t like shotgun starts and the no cut thing and I don’t think the team aspect has engaged fans in a meaningful way, so I’d be all in favour of making more changes. Even if it looks just like all the other Tours except with smaller fields, larger purses and fewer events, that’s still a pretty attractive option for players and fans. The PGA Tour seems to be heading in the same direction.

Ben Griffin won the World Wide Technologies event on Sunday for his third victory in 2025, tying him with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for most victories on Tour this year. That’s pretty exalted company for Griffin. One of his wins was a regular Tour event, one was the two-man Zurich Classic and the latest one is during the Fall Series when most of the Top 50 players are absent. What do you make of Griffin? Is he a budding superstar with three victories to kick-start an illustrious career or just a decent player that made the most of favourable circumstances?

Deeks: More the latter, in my view.  But who knows?  So many guys show early promise, then slip back into the middle lane for the balance of their careers.  I don’t see “budding superstar” with Griffin.  Yet.

Loughry: Griffin has been pretty consistent all year. I think he’s a top 20 player for sure (world ranking approaching inside the top 10), two top 10’s in Majors (PGA and US Open) in 2025 is pretty darn good. But he needs to win a marquee event for me to decide he’s a “star” out on the PGA Tour.

Rule: I don’t care what tournaments you win, if you win three PGA Tour events in a year, you’re a legit star.  OK, he’s not near the company of Scheffler and Rory, but he’s knocking on the door.  He also had two top 10’s in majors in 2025, so it was a very successful year.  That being said, he hadn’t done much entering 2025, so it will be interesting to see if this is a springboard for him to enter the conversation of top 10 players in the world, or if it’s a blip in the radar and he goes back to being a solid but unspectacular player.  That happens so often.

Mumford: Let’s talk about Griffin in the superstar category after he wins a major or two. Right now, he’s a nice flash-in-the-pan story that may or may not have any staying power. One good year doesn’t a career make.

Last week, the LPGA signed a deal with the Saudi PIF to sponsor an event in Las Vegas. There has been some backlash against the move based on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, but Commissioner Craig Kessler defended it, arguing that “the deal helps the tour build a global schedule and elevate opportunities for its athletes.” What’s your reaction?

Deeks: I don’t support any Tour or event getting into bed with the Saudis, and Commissioner Kessler’s response is absolutely self-serving BS, in my opinion.  Gee, Commish, would you say the same thing if the Ku Klux Klan wanted to sponsor an LPGA event, or Al Qaeda?  Have you no principles?

Loughry: If everyone was up in arms over LIV, and European Tour affiliated events to Saudi Arabia connections, then you shouldn’t change your position just because it’s the LPGA Tour. The LPGA Tour has had well over a decade of connection to Saudi supported events on their Tour (Aramco, etc), and individual LPGA Tour player sponsor deals. This isn’t new.

Rule: The Saudi PIF has been fairly heavily involved in the LPGA for years, so this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone, even though it’s a US based event. It’s great for the Tour, which needs financial help.  I’m torn on it, it would be great if they could fund the tour through other interests, but it seems like there are challenges to bring in the kind of money that the PIF provides.

Mumford: Good for Craig Kessler and the LPGA. I know a lot of people are still incensed about sportwashing and any connection to the Saudi regime, but given Saudi Arabia’s widespread corporate and financial investments in so many aspects of North America that we readily accept and approve of, isn’t it hypocritical to single out their sponsorship of golf as evil?