Lynch: Greg Norman is gaslighting the gullible with laughable claim that world golf ranking is obsolete

Norman is waging a campaign against the ranking because players swallowed his guff as gospel.

Blowhard narcissists often default to declaring any rules or institutions that impede their plans as unjust and invalid.

This argument is typically supported by a lot of false information and is often believed by conspiracy theorists.

This is evident in the case of Greg Norman and the Official World Golf Ranking, as they have refused to acknowledge Norman’s LIV Golf tournaments.

Gaslightin’ Greg says it’s “laughable” that LIV would feature just two of the world’s top 50 golfers if not for recent signings. The insinuation is obvious: the OWGR is discriminating against LIV, and the ranking is obsolete — charges dutifully repeated by his lunkhead loyalists, who probably think critical faculty refers to the frustrated high school teachers who couldn’t help them to a passing grade.

The OWGR denied LIV’s application for recognition last October, and the organization’s chairman, Peter Dawson, carefully explained the decision. Concerns included the relegation process, whereby a player who finishes 25th might lose status while one who finishes last doesn’t because he’s contractually exempt from being booted.

Another problem arose when LIV participated in both individual and team events at the same time. Dawson specifically mentioned Sebastian Munoz’s remarks, in which he confessed to sacrificing his chance to win an individual title in order to focus on leading the team.

There were also concerns about teammates being paired together, as they may be encouraged to ignore inappropriate behavior. It is worth noting that no one at LIV is known for breaking rules, correct, counselor Klayman?

The OWGR provided guidance on the actions LIV could take to qualify for ranking points, but LIV refused to follow the recommendations.

These are the fundamental details. However, Norman is basing his argument on deliberate misrepresentation.

He asserts that the purpose of the OWGR is to rank the top golfers globally, which is not accurate.

The actual purpose is to rank the top golfers participating in tours with verified competitive integrity.

This key condition was conveniently left out by the deceptive individual.

Norman and LIV are clinging to the risible notion that golfers are entitled to ranking points on name recognition and reputation alone, as though star power renders irrelevant the competitive integrity of where they play. There are no stars competing on the Nordic Golf League and Big Easy Tour, but both are recognized by the OWGR because they observe the necessary criteria. LIV isn’t because it won’t, so Norman decries the legitimacy of the rules and even of the very ranking whose imprimatur he seeks, while insisting the majors must rewrite exemption criteria to accommodate his objectives.

On Feb. 21, Augusta National Golf Club announced that invitations have been extended to three players not otherwise qualified for the Masters. One went to Joaquin Niemann, who recently won on the LIV tour then complained it wasn’t enough to exempt him into major championships (though winning the Seminole Pro-Member wouldn’t qualify a chap either). Niemann was No. 18 in the world when he signed with LIV and is now ranked 81st. The Masters was explicit about why the young Chilean was deserving of an invitation: the tournament’s desire to have representation from regions where golf is growing, and Niemann’s victory in the Australian Open, alongside several strong showings on the DP World Tour. His performances on LIV were not mentioned.

Thorbjorn Olesen was given a Masters invitation after winning a recent tournament and performing well in several European circuit events. This indicates that playing on the LIV Golf League does not necessarily disqualify someone from being invited to the Masters in April. However, relying solely on the LIV Golf League and not attempting to meet the Masters’ exemption criteria could be a hindrance.

The criticisms of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) from the LIV quarter reveal two things: players who made the decision to compete despite knowing that ranking points were not available are now seeking to avoid facing the consequences of their actions, and a CEO is attempting to shift blame onto others for his failure to fulfill false promises.

Carlos Ortiz stated in a recent podcast that he was given assurances by LIV when he signed with them that he would receive world ranking points. It raises the question of who made promises to Ortiz that they could not deliver on.

Norman is leading a campaign against the ranking system because players believed his claims as truth, only to realize that they were deceived, including by dishonest agents. This is evident as over 20 members of LIV’s roster are currently in Oman, looking for points in the Asian Tour.

The players of LIV may face uncertain future outcomes, but they currently face challenges in accessing important championships that are determined by world ranking rather than financial status.

Greg Norman cannot hide his responsibility for putting them in this difficult situation.