Golf Rankings: Cameron Smith, the Open champion and LIV golfer claim that the lack of points for the Saudi-sponsored series is making the world ranking system “obsolete.”
The 29-year-old became the highest-ranked golfer to make the lucrative circuit when he won his maiden major at St. Andrews in July. He subsequently won the Players Championship and shot up to No. 2 in the world.
The Australian has moved up to the fourth place, but other elite players who switched to LIV have seen their rankings fall.
Former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who will represent LIV as the individual champion in 2022, has fallen to 46th place, while 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has fallen to 96th place, barely cracks the top 100.
LIV Golf applied to the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) board in July of last year, but a decision has not yet been made public.
The pain is real, Smith acknowledged on Wednesday. “I believe I came quite close to reaching No. 1, which was something I really wanted to cross off my list.
“Whether there is a global ranking or not, I believe that when you arrive at a tournament, you already know who you have to defeat. There are often seven to eight men in that field who you can count on to put up a solid fight.
“However, I believe that as time passes, those rankings become less relevant. Are they necessary? It would be fantastic, but once you’re on the golf course, you know who you have to beat.”
A government aiming to repair its reputation after a long history of human rights violations, according to critics, is engaging in blatant “sports washing” by funding LIV Golf, which is sponsored by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
In addition to Johnson, DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Phil Mickelson, Smith will be the star of the Asian Tour’s season-opening Saudi International, which tees off on Thursday.
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