The LIV Golf Series will not receive world ranking points at this week's event in Bangkok, the Official World Golf Rankings have confirmed. On Wednesday it was reported by the Telegraph that LIV were set to acquire ranking points for the very first time at this week's event.
This comes after the Saudi-funded series struck up a 'strategic alliance' with the lesser known MENA Tour in order to qualify. However OWGR have confirmed this week that this new partnership is under review, meaning LIV will continue to compete without ranking recognition.
The breakaway circuit have been embroiled in a saga surrounding OWGR recognition for some time, and the lack of ranking points has proven a huge dent in LIV's and Greg Norman's armour.
And, it seemed as if this had been fixed ahead of this week's venture out to Asia following their link with the MENA Tour. However, OWGR have confirmed that MENA's 'significant changes' were yet to be approved.
In a statement they said: "Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) received a communication from the MENA Tour on October 5th, 2022, at 13:05 BST. The communication detailed significant changes to the MENA Tour’s membership structure along with an outline of the initial series of tournaments in the 2022/23 MENA Tour season.
"OWGR notes that the first two tournaments in this series appeared to be the same as the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments in Bangkok and Jeddah. The communication from the MENA Tour included a starting field data file for the Bangkok tournament, confirming that to be the case."
One aspect that has always been seen as an obstacle for LIV and its attempts to secure OWGR points is its tournament structure. As a result, the series' events are competed over 54 holes (three rounds) rather than the usual 72 (four rounds), and also go ahead without a cut line.
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Alluding to this in the statement, OWGR added: "Notice of these changes given by the MENA Tour is insufficient to allow OWGR to conduct the customary necessary review ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (7-9 October) and LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (14-16 October).
"Only after the review is complete will a decision be made on awarding points to the MENA Tour’s new “Limited Field Tournaments”, defined by the MENA Tour in its Regulations as “any MENA Tour-approved tournament, which comprises of a player field of less than 80 players”.
Regular official MENA Tour events conducted over 54 or 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes, and its Tour Championship, typically conducted over 54 holes with no cut, remain eligible for inclusion in the OWGR. "
