LIV Golf players will begin earning Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points in 2026, a move that significantly boosts their pathways into major championships and other elite events.
The governing board of the OWGR announced it will award points to LIV Golf’s individual stroke-play events starting with the 2026 season. Points will be allocated only to the top 10 finishers and ties, with events classified under OWGR’s standard “Small Field Tournaments” category and no redistribution of points beyond 10th place.
The decision acknowledges “there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out by OWGR,” including smaller fields, no-cut formats, and limited merit-based access.
According to Golf Digest, OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman called it “an incredibly complex and challenging process undertaken in the seven months since LIV Golf submitted their application.”
Immelman added: “We fully recognised 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. We believe we have found a solution that achieves these twin aims and enables the best-performing players at LIV Golf events to receive OWGR points.”
For LIV golfers, the ruling is expected to open more direct routes into the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship, all of which rely heavily on world ranking criteria for exemptions. Regular access to ranking points will help full-time LIV players maintain or improve their positions without relying solely on past major victories, special invitations, or other limited paths that currently exist, thereby strengthening the tour’s ability to attract and retain top talent.
The PGA Tour issued a statement, saying, “We respect today’s decision by the Official World Golf Ranking Governing Board and the considerable time the Board and Chairman Immelman committed to this process.”
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