How far have LIV golfers tumbled down the OWGR?

LIV Golf’s battle for world ranking points has been dealt another blow after it was announced that the circuit’s bid for official credibility was denied.

Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed league has been told it will not have access to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), due to “technical” issues.

Those concerns, voiced by rankings chairman Peter Dawson, surround the league’s format, as he broke the news on Tuesday night.

And as Dawson claimed the decision was ‘not political’, the 73-year-old argued that the likes of Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia ‘should be in the ranking’.

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So, since their defection to the breakaway league, just how far have some of golf’s biggest names plummeted in the OWGR?

Given that remains the only current form of entry into golf’s four coveted major championships, the numbers don’t make for good reading for Mickelson and Co.

Each LIV player penned an open letter to Dawson last September pleading for immediate inclusion into the ranking system.

That was after the circuit applied in July 2022, one month after its inaugural event in London.

Since then, a host of players have missed out on competing at major championships, and that looks likely to happen again in 2024.

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Australia’s Cameron Smith was second on the OWGR before his first LIV event, but he currently sits in 19th.

PGA champion Brooks Koepka presents an incredibly rare case of moving up the OWGR. The 33-year-old was 19th before his first LIV event and is now 18th.

Open champions Louis Oosthuizen and Phil Mickelson have dropped off the rankings, falling from 21st and 72nd to 409th and 117th, respectively.

Former European Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia all rank between 318th and 411th, while Lee Westwood, who was 78th, is now the 581st ranked golfer in the world.

A solid year in major championships has kept Masters winner Patrick Reed at 67th, but U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is down at 142nd.

Here is a list of notable names, with OWGR before their first LIV event compared to now…

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LIV players OWGR before LIV vs now

Cameron Smith 2 – 19

Dustin Johnson 15 – 137

Joaquin Niemann 19 – 70

Brooks Koepka 19 – 18

Louis Oosthuizen 21 – 409

Abraham Ancer 22 – 101

Paul Casey 31 – 361

Bryson DeChambeau 31 – 142

Talor Gooch 35 – 231

Patrick Reed 39 – 67

Sergio Garcia 57 – 411

Phil Mickelson 72 – 117

Lee Westwood 78 – 575

Bubba Watson 86 – 585

Ian Poulter 92 – 318

Henrik Stenson 173 – 238

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.