LIV Golf will begin 2026 with uncertainty lingering around a key part of its future.
The governing board of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced Tuesday that it’s still undecided on whether to approve LIV’s latest application for world ranking points.
“Discussions have been regular and remain ongoing,” OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman said in a statement. “To be clear, progress has been made, but there is no decision to share at this time. We will continue to work closely with LIV Golf as it continues to evolve.”
LIV events have not offered players OWGR points since the league’s launch in 2022. LIV submitted a second OWGR application in July, this time under new CEO Scott O’Neil, after an initial bid was denied in 2023 under former CEO Greg Norman.
Without OWGR points, many of LIV’s most notable players who were once among the top-ranked in the world no longer have the same status—like Jon Rahm (No. 84), Cam Smith (No. 204), Sergio Garcia (No. 491), Dustin Johnson (No. 639), and Phil Mickelson (No. 1,180).
Some LIV players have been able to maintain top-50 status by performing well in the four major championships and other non-PGA Tour events they aren’t banned from, like Bryson DeChambeau (No. 27) and Patrick Reed (No. 42).
LIV’s fifth season begins Feb. 4-7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In November, LIV announced it was expanding from three-round, 54-hole tournaments to the standard four-day, 72-hole format. Previously, LIV’s 54-hole structure was one of several impediments to potentially receiving OWGR points.
But coincidentally, the OWGR also announced Tuesday that moving forward, scheduled 54-hole events—on accredited tours—will receive 75% of the original calculated field rating and ranking points distribution.
Meanwhile, LIV also announced Tuesday that it’s expanding its tournament field size to 57 players. Last season, events featured 54 players—52 from the 13 four-man teams, and two wild card spots. Three more wild card spots are being added in 2026, with the upcoming LIV Golf Promotions event Jan. 8-11 awarding them to its top three finishers.
The move to increase field sizes and offer more qualifying measures will also likely help LIV’s world ranking points application, since the OWGR looks for tours to have clear pathways, as opposed to only guaranteed spots.
