With the 2023 professional golf season now well underway, it is fair to say the sport is in a completely different spot to where it found itself 12 months ago.
One year prior, any idea of a Saudi-funded breakaway circuit seemed to be nothing more than a written off rumour, but now the LIV Golf Series is booting up to kick off its second campaign later this week. LIV has certainly made strides by luring in some of golf's biggest names, surprising many with its rapid rise in 2022.
Rockstars of the sport including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter and Cameron Smith have all made the switch, and all seem pretty happy with their decision.
The mega-money signing fees and prize money made it hard to turn down for many, with the big names reaping the financial reward more than most. Whilst their bank balances have trending upwards, one aspect that has rocketed in the opposite direction is their world ranking spots.
The main kink in LIV Golf's armour has been their lack of Official World Golf Ranking recognition (OWGR), which has in turn seen many of their players plummet down the list.
There is no doubt the OWGR have a different look to how they did heading LIV's inaugural event at Centurion Club just last summer, and it is not pretty reading for those on the breakaway roster.
Heading into LIV's maiden tournament in June, five of the world's top 20 golfers have since joined the Saudi-funded series, and now just three remain in the world's top 40. Here is a look at some of LIV Golf's most prolific ranking fallers.
Dustin Johnson
Heading into the 2022 season, Johnson found himself inside OWGR's top three players and no doubt had hopes to return to the summit of professional golf throughout the year.
Things however turned out much different. When teeing off in LIV's opening event last June, the 2020 Masters champion found himself 15th in the world rankings.
Fast forward eight months and a full season on the Saudi-funded series Johnson now sits outside the world's top 50 players for the first in 13 years after falling to 54th in the rankings system.
Brooks Koepka
The next big name tumbler is four-time major champion Koepka. Whilst he may not have been showing the form he had produced in his recent period of dominance around the turn of the decade, the American star still found himself inside the world's top 20 golfers last summer.
After appearing to initially turn his nose at the breakaway circuit, Koepka was a late LIV starter having joined after its first ever event in St Albans.
However, Koepka's signing came at a cost with the former world No. 1 now ranked 85th in the world.
Bryson DeChambeau
Koepka's biggest rival on the PGA Tour was DeChambeau, but it seems the thing the pair did have in common was joining the LIV circuit.
After an electric three seasons, DeChambeau was backed to be a future No. 1, having reached a career high of 4th just a year before the Saudi-backed series kicked off.
Things however have not gone to plan for the 2020 US Open champion, with his lack of OWGR points leaving him outside the world's top 100 in 114th.
Phil Mickelson
Arguably the biggest name to join the Saudi-backed series is six-time major champion Mickelson. The American star was LIV's flag bearer at the start of their feud with PGA Tour, but it may not have been all worth it.
Whilst the golfing stalwart may not have been replicating the form that made him one of the sport's greatest ever players in his prime, Mickelson headed into the opener at Centurion 70th in the world, and just a year on from being crowned a major champion.
Things look much different for the 52-year-old now though, with Mickelson set to fall out of the world's top 300 players - currently dwindling in 298th.
Ian Poulter
Another man who has proven to be a poster boy for Greg Norman and co is European legend Poulter. Prior to his LIV move, the Englishman found himself just four spots outide the world's top 50 at the beginning of the 2022 season, and still a firm fav favourite thanks to his exploits for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup - tipped to be a future captain of his continent.
This captain chance and glittering legacy has since been tarnished though following his Saudi switch, and his ranking has since followed suit.
Poulter now finds himself heading into LIV's 2023 season sat 144th in the world, and with no sign of OWGR sanctioning coming soon, the Englishman and his fellow rebels will continue to fall.
