The Official World Golf Ranking has finally moved to award world ranking points to LIV Golf events, but the decision has immediately divided opinion across the sport.
While the move has been framed as progress, the structure attached to it has raised serious questions.
Only the top ten finishers at LIV tournaments will receive points, a limitation that does not apply to other recognised tours.
That caveat has overshadowed the announcement itself, with players and supporters arguing it undermines the idea of a fair and global ranking system.
One of the strongest reactions has come from Lee Westwood, who did not hold back.
Lee Westwood accuses OWGR of bias over LIV Golf decision
Westwood accepted that the ruling represented progress, but made it clear he believes it falls well short of what is needed.
“It’s a start,” Westwood responded to a LIV critic. “But if you think 11th in a LIV event doesn’t deserve OWGR points, you’re more biased than I thought.”
The former world number one questioned how the OWGR could justify excluding strong performances based purely on where they take place.
He warned that younger players who have committed to LIV as a career pathway would be hit hardest.
“It’s the young guys that have chosen LIV as the pathway for their careers that will suffer most from this decision,” Westwood added, suggesting the system fails those it should be protecting.
“Still couldn’t quite manage to do their job and fairly rank the best players in the world, could they?!”
LIV Golf label OWGR restrictions ‘unprecedented’
LIV Golf echoed those concerns in its official response, describing the structure as something the ranking system has never applied before.
“We acknowledge this long-overdue moment of recognition, which affirms the fundamental principle that performance on the course should matter, regardless of where the competition takes place,” LIV wrote.
However, LIV stressed that the limitations attached to the decision undermine that principle.
“Under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th,” the statement continued.
The league warned that limiting points to only the top ten “disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold,” particularly emerging talent trying to establish themselves on the world stage.
LIV added that “no other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subjected to such a restriction,” and insisted it would continue pushing for a ranking system that “reflects performance over affiliation.”
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