The MENA Tour has announced a ‘strategic alliance’ with LIV Golf which means their players will start receiving World Ranking points this week in Bangkok.
The Dubai-based golf tour which has been recognised by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) since 2016 and will immediately qualify LIV Golf for OWGR points, starting with the LIV Golf Thailand event at Stonehill this week. As a result of the alliance, all LIV Golf players have also joined the MENA Tour.
The one question it does raise is just how many points LIV Golf will be eligible for given the tournaments still remain 54-hole events with no cut.
The OWGR guidelines indicate a standard format of 72 holes, with 54 holes acceptable “for those tournaments earnings fewer than 12 minimum first-place points.”
To put that into perspective, Ryan Fox secured 32.14000 points for winning last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship while Mackenzie Hughes won almost 36 points for claiming the title at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
While it is a step in the right direction for LIV Golf, the Tour will still have to make some major changes before earning the same amount of points on offer on both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
“This is a very exciting day for the MENA Tour and our players,” said David Spencer, the MENA Tour Commissioner. “Through this alliance, our players will now have enhanced playing opportunities and stronger pathways. This is great news for the future of many young players on our Tour.
“We are taking this mutually beneficial action to support the game at the developmental level and because of the importance and fairness of LIV golfers qualifying for OWGR points,” said Atul Khosla, the President and COO of LIV Golf. “We’re pleased to create pathways that give more opportunities for young players, while also giving fans rankings that include all the world’s best golfers.”
The final field for LIV Golf Thailand, the opening event of the 2022/23 MENA Tour season, will be submitted to OWGR by the MENA Tour ahead of play commencing on Friday when the final field rating and winners’ points are expected to be confirmed.
