The wait is finally over! LIV Golf League will receive Official World Golf Ranking points this season. 

The Official World Golf Ranking confirmed on Tuesday that points will be awarded for LIV Golf events starting in the 2026 season.

As a result, players competing on LIV will now have a pathway to earn world ranking points through league events, addressing an issue the tour has raised since it began operations.

But there is a catch. Only the top 10 finishers in LIV Golf individual stroke play events will earn world ranking points. 

Under the OWGR framework, LIV Golf events fall into the “small field tournaments” category. As a result, players finishing outside the top 10 will not receive any points.

Adding to the OWGR rules, LIV Golf League also responded to the decision, addressing it from both a positive and critical standpoint.

In a statement, LIV Golf said, “We acknowledge this long‑overdue moment of recognition, which affirms the principle that performance on the course should matter, regardless of where the competition takes place. However, under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th.”

By comparison, every player who makes the cut in a PGA Tour event earns Official World Golf Ranking points.

For instance, Justin Rose collected just under 57 points for his victory at the Farmers Insurance Open last week.

As a result, Rose moved to No. 3 in the world rankings, trailing only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. 

Even after granting LIV Golf eligibility for world ranking points, the OWGR stopped short of full parity, opting instead for a partial concession rather than a complete alignment in how points are awarded.

Why did OWGR stop short of full ranking parity for LIV Golf

In 2023, then-OWGR chairman Peter Dawson outlined the criteria LIV Golf needed to meet for inclusion in the world ranking system.

In a letter sent to LIV in October, Dawson stated that eligibility would require a structure that allows new players to enter based on objective, recent performance, while also ensuring that underperforming players are relegated in a timely and fair manner.

At that stage, LIV Golf League provided three entry spots through a promotions event and one through a season-long points list on the International Series. 

That structure has since changed. Three places still come from the promotions event, while two are now awarded via the International Series.

At the same time, discussions between LIV and the Official World Golf Ranking continued.

In December, OWGR governing board chairman Trevor Immelman said talks were ongoing and suggested a decision could be reached before LIV’s season began.

“This has been an incredibly complex and challenging process and one which we have devoted a huge amount of time and energy to resolving in the seven months since LIV Golf submitted their application,” Immelman said in a statement. 

“We fully recognized the need to rank the top men's players in the world, but at the same time had to find a way of doing so that was equitable to the thousands of other players competing on other tours that operate with established meritocratic pathways.”

Does OWGR recognition strengthen LIV Golf’s credibility? Comment down your views.

Written by

Aditi Singh