LIV Golf players flock to Asian Tour event in search of world ranking points
We’re less than two months away from the first men’s major championship of the year, and the race to qualify via the Official World Golf Ranking is heating up.
Securing a position in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) the week prior to the 2024 Masters at Augusta National from April 11-14 is a possible route to entry into the tournament.
PGA Tour players have seven opportunities remaining to accumulate points, while the DP World Tour has five events scheduled before the Masters. Time is limited for LIV Golf players to gain eligibility for the Masters.
This week, 21 out of the 54 present players in the league, overseen by Greg Norman and supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, have joined the Asian Tour’s inaugural International Series event in Oman for the year.
The International Series comprises of 10 tournaments funded by LIV Golf, which provide lower prize money compared to LIV events.
Despite the lower prize money, players participate in these events to earn OWGR points under the Asian Tour’s umbrella.
LIV Golf hasn’t been granted OWGR points despite numerous attempts (remember the MENA Tour alliance?), which has caused its players to plummet in the rankings over the last two years. Patrick Reed is 100th, Bryson DeChambeau is 169th and Dustin Johnson is 238th, to name a few.
Of the 21 LIV players in the Oman field, just three are currently inside the top 100: Lucas Herbert (80), Joaquin Niemann (81) and Dean Burmester (95).
Niemann stated that he has a new approach for this year following his victory at LIV’s season opener in Mexico. He mentioned that not being in the majors affected him, but it also served as motivation for him to regain his spot in the majors.
Both Niemann and Burmester earned spots in the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon through their victories in the Open Qualifying Series in late 2023. However, qualifying for a trip to Augusta National may prove to be a challenge.
LIV has three upcoming events in the next seven weeks before the Masters – Jeddah (March 1-3), Hong Kong (March 8-10), and Miami (April 5-7). This schedule makes it difficult, though not entirely impossible, for them to break into the top 50 and qualify for the Masters. The U.S. Open and Open
Championship offer exemptions to the top 60 and top 50 players, respectively. Although the PGA Championship does not officially grant exemptions based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), players in the top 100 are frequently given special exemptions if they do not qualify through other means.
In summary, the event happening this week in Oman marks the beginning of a busy year for LIV players who have not yet qualified for the major tournaments.
LIV players in International Series Oman field
| Player | Current OWGR Ranking |
| Lucas Herbert | 80 |
| Joaquin Niemann | 81 |
| Dean Burmester | 95 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 137 |
| David Puig | 141 |
| Mito Pereira | 154 |
| Abraham Ancer | 165 |
| Anirban Lahiri | 309 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 329 |
| Matt Jones | 395 |
| Eugenio Chacarra | 411 |
| Scott Vincent | 413 |
| Kieran Vincent | 422 |
| Sebastian Munoz | 428 |
| Jinichiro Kozuma | 522 |
| Peter Uihlein | 629 |
| Danny Lee | 643 |
| Branden Grace | 715 |
| Matthew Wolff | 1,113 |
| Carlos Ortiz | 1,286 |
| Hudson Swafford | 1,786 |
