LIV Golf Invitational Sequence will apply for OWGR consideration, CEO Greg Norman says

BROOKLINE, Mass. — LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman mentioned the brand new circuit will apply for Official World Golf Rating factors consideration Monday.

Norman mentioned the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence has a “very compelling” software after working intently with the OWGR technical committee to know the method.

Throughout an interview with Fox Information on Saturday evening, Norman additionally requested whether or not PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, one in every of eight members of the OWGR board of governors, would recuse himself from voting on LIV Golf’s software.

“It will be fascinating to see if Jay Monahan recuses himself from that vote due to what he mentioned on tv with [CBS Sports announcer] Jim Nantz the opposite day,” Norman mentioned. “So, it’s extremely fascinating and it is unhappy to be, you recognize, placing that extra exerting stress on it as a result of our tour is an efficient tour. It is supported, it is obtained an unimaginable area. Our level must be that if we get the OWGR factors, then every thing else takes care of itself.”

Throughout an interview with Nantz throughout the ultimate spherical of the RBC Canadian Open on June 12, Monahan defended his place to droop 17 gamers who’ve defected from the Tour to affix LIV Golf, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.

Further PGA Tour gamers, together with 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed, are anticipated to be included within the 48-man area for LIV Golf’s subsequent occasion. Will probably be the primary one performed in the USA, at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, from June 30 to July 2.

Monahan mentioned gamers who competed in future LIV Golf occasions with out a conflicting-event launch would face the identical punishment because the 17 who had been suspended.

“Why do they want us so badly?” Monahan requested, of the LIV Tour, on CBS Sports activities. “As a result of these gamers have chosen to signal multiyear profitable contracts to play in a sequence of exhibition matches in opposition to the identical gamers over and over. You take a look at that versus what we see right here at the moment and that is why they want us so badly. You have obtained true, pure competitors. The most effective gamers on this planet are right here on the RBC Canadian Open, with thousands and thousands of followers watching, and on this recreation, it is true and pure competitors that creates the profile within the presence of the world’s best gamers.

“And that is why they want us. That is what we do. However we’re not going to permit gamers to free experience off of our loyal members, the perfect gamers on this planet.”

Different members of the OWGR board of governors embrace DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley, USGA CEO Mike Whan, R&A chief government Martin Slumbers, PGA of America government director Seth Waugh, Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership government director Will Jones and Keith Waters, who represents the Worldwide Federation of PGA Excursions.

Gamers competing in LIV Golf who aren’t eligible to play on different excursions won’t earn OWGR factors. The governing our bodies of the 4 main championships use OWGR standings to find out exemptions for golf’s largest occasions.

The USGA determined to let LIV Golf gamers who had already certified for this week’s event at The Nation Membership to stay within the area, however Whan mentioned earlier this week that he may foresee a day when it is tougher for LIV Golf gamers to take action. The gamers would nonetheless be eligible to get within the U.S. Open by means of open qualifying.

“I may foresee a day,” Whan mentioned. “Do I do know what that day seems to be like? No, I do not. To be trustworthy with you, what we’re speaking about [LIV Golf] was totally different two years in the past, and it was totally different two months in the past than it’s at the moment. We have been doing this for 127 years, so I believe [the USGA] must take a long-term view of this and see the place these items go. So we’re not going to be a knee-jerk response to type of what we do.”

Even when LIV Golf had been to turn out to be a acknowledged tour, it could in all probability obtain lowered factors due to its present format. LIV Golf occasions embrace 48-man fields and 54 holes; PGA Tour occasions encompass 72 holes and fields as massive as 156 gamers.

Throughout the interview on Fox Information, Norman requested why the PGA Tour was being so important of LIV Golf when it additionally had sponsors who’ve performed enterprise with the Saudis.

“Look, I am disenchanted folks go down that path, fairly actually,” Norman mentioned. “In the event that they wish to take a look at it in prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors doing $40-plus-billion price of enterprise with Saudi Arabia? Why is it OK for the sponsors? Will Jay Monahan go to every a type of CEOs of the 23 corporations which can be investing into Saudi Arabia and droop them and ban them? The hypocrisy in all this, it is so loud. It is deafening.”