Should major golf events make exceptions so LIV Golf can participate?
There may have been beer showers in Adelaide, but LIV Golf isn't out of the woods just yet. Greg Norman's Saudi Arabia-funded golf league still hasn't gotten the full recognition he would like from the rest of the golf world, including where it matters most -- in the world ranking.
The Official World Golf Ranking is doing its due diligence in reviewing LIV Golf's application for points consideration and that process can impact whether LIV golfers can participate in major events next season since ranking points play a huge role in event entry.
But according to LIV Golf participants such as Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, major events should be making it easier for LIV Golfers to play in these high-profile events regardless of whether they qualify for points or not.
Are they right? Should majors like the Masters make it easier for LIV golfers to participate?
In Mickelson's eyes, majors should then be making an exception for LIV because it's the only way to have the best golfers in the world participate on the big stage -- which parrots Lefty's many claims that all the best talent in the world plays for the rogue circuit.
“They’re going to have to find a way to get the best LIV players in their field if they want to have the best field in golf and be really what a major championship is all about,” Mickelson said, via Golf Channel.
Watson takes less of an "us against them" approach, saying that world ranking points shouldn't be a factor at all.
"Forget world-ranking points – just who is the best in your tour and your league and go from there," Watson said. "That’s how you do it. It’s simple math."
While Watson's idea is certainly the most straightforward, the bigwigs behind some of the major events have gone on record saying they like using the OWGR to determine the field for their events.
This brings us back to Mickelson and his claim that the majors are "going to have to find a way" to include LIV golfers. And the reality of that scenario is that the majors don't have to bend to LIV Golf's will just because Lefty thinks the league he plays for is superior to the PGA and DP World Tour -- both of which qualify for world ranking points.
Long story short: LIV Golf has to go through the process of getting approved for world ranking points just like everyone else, and bullying their way into majors by saying they're better than everyone else probably isn't going to help their case.
Mickelson saying LIV Golf has some of the best talent in the world is one thing. Insisting that majors skirt the rules and make an exception for LIV Golf is a whole other thing.
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