Phil Mickelson tees off on the ninth hole during the final round of the Masters. Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK

LIV Golfers get boost in world rankings after Masters

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 4/10/23

Suffice to say, the Masters packed in its fair share of surprises. Among them was how well a few LIV Golf participants played — to the point that they even got a boost in the official world golf ranking.

The Masters offered an opportunity for players on the rogue circuit to improve their standing since LIV Golf doesn't qualify for world ranking points, which has sent most of them into a free fall down the standings. Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed all reversed that downward trajectory after all three finished in the top five on Sunday, Golf Digest reported.

Koepka and Mickelson, who both finished tied for second, made the biggest leaps in the ranking. Koepka, who sat atop the leaderboard for the better part of Friday and Saturday, jumped up the standings from 118th to 45th. Mickelson's jump was even bigger, as he went from 425th to 72nd.

Some notable moves in the official world golf ranking after the Masters:

Jon Rahm 3 ➡️ 1
Brooks Koepka 118 ➡️ 39
Patrick Reed 70 ➡️ 45
Phil Mickelson 425 ➡️ 72
— Andrew T (@dwmpandrew) April 10, 2023

Lefty's performance at Augusta was especially surprising given how much he has struggled on the links lately, even with LIV Golf's laid-back format. Many thought Mickelson wouldn't even make the cut before he stormed back on Sunday with one of the best fourth rounds played.

Phil Mickelson's final round (65) is the lowest round in Masters history by a player age 50 or older #themasters pic.twitter.com/yL9b1LtcIg
— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2023

Fans who were happy to see Mickelson return to his vintage self won't have to wait long to see him compete on the big stage again. Both he and Koepka are among the LIV Golfers who qualify for the next major — the PGA Championship — which tees off on May 15 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

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