Men’s golf has never been the same since 2022, when LIV Golf launched and began signing away some of the PGA Tour’s top names.
LIV events still do not count towards Official World Golf Ranking points.
The Saudi-backed organisation have applied for inclusion with the OWGR, hoping to get their tournaments recognised for ranking purposes.
Professional golf urgently needs significant changes, especially since a LIV-PGA Tour merger seems unlikely at this time.
Bryson DeChambeau is currently the highest-ranked LIV player at 22nd in the world, while Patrick Reed sits at 46th.
DeChambeau’s talent clearly places him among the top five players globally, and Reed is easily a top-20 golfer when you look at his ability alone.
The current system does not reflect that. It might be time to admit that something about how we rank golfers just is not working anymore.
John Keefer’s rise highlights problems with world golf ranking system
John Keefer has been the standout performer on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.
With one event left, The Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, he leads the Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
The 24-year-old will be eager to cap off his campaign with a win at The Pete Dye Course in Indiana.
But there is more at stake than just another title. Keefer is currently ranked 51st in the world, and a good showing this week could push him into the top-50.
That is significant because the top 50 players at year’s end get an invitation to The Masters in 2026, unless they are already exempt.
This means that Keefer, who has only made four PGA Tour starts, now has a genuine shot at playing Augusta next season.
It does not quite add up when you look at it that way. But this is not about the 24-year-old himself.
John Keefer’s stats on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour
Keefer has put together an impressive run in 2025, picking up two wins and finishing inside the top ten on nine occasions from 22 starts.
But even with those results, it is hard to argue he is ahead of LIV players like Jon Rahm, ranked 73rd, or Joaquin Niemann at 114th.
| Achievements | Keefer’s results |
| Events played | 22 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Top-5s | 6 |
| Top-10s | 9 |
| Missed cuts | 4 |
Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth sit at 57th and 59th on the rankings. It is difficult to make a case that Keefer deserves to be placed higher than either of these PGA Tour stars.
There are clear flaws in the Official World Golf Ranking system. LIV Golf still does not offer ranking points, which raises real questions about how major championship fields are being shaped.
Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson are currently ranked 217th and 634th. That simply does not reflect their place in the game.
If Keefer finds himself at Augusta next year, it could force a closer look at how players are being ranked across tours.
The system needs adjusting sooner rather than later.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
