LIV Golf getting world rating factors would begin with the Saudi-funded league making use of to the Official World Golf Rating, and chairman Trevor Immelman stated on Thursday that first step has not occurred.
Immelman, who took over as OWGR chair three weeks in the past, stated he has spoken with LIV CEO Scott O’Neil on the cellphone and met with him for an off-the-cuff dialog throughout the Masters.
Sportico reported earlier this week that LIV Golf and the OWGR had been in “critical discussions,” which Immelman discovered to be “an fascinating selection of phrases.”
“They haven’t put any utility in. Whether or not that occurs or not, I suppose time will inform,” Immelman stated in a phone interview.
“I’ve loved attending to know Scott O’Neil over the previous few months,” he stated. “We’ve spoken on the cellphone a few instances. We met in individual on the Masters, simply actually introduction stuff. We’re in the identical place we have now been with none utility from their facet.
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“The ball is of their court docket.”
The OWGR denied LIV’s unique utility in October 2023, saying it couldn’t pretty measure the league with some two dozen different excursions all over the world due to what amounted to a closed store and the potential of competitors being compromised by having staff scores depend concurrently with particular person outcomes.
LIV withdrew its utility in Could 2024.
LIV now has 54 gamers — 13 four-man groups and two wild playing cards — a roster that stays the identical identical (besides alternates for harm) all season. It began a “promotions” occasion that supplied three spots on the finish of 2023, however that was decreased to 1 spot final yr. The chief of the Asian Tour’s Worldwide Collection additionally will get a spot in LIV supplied he’s not already a member.
O’Neil changed Greg Norman because the CEO of LIV Golf this yr.
The 4 majors use the world rating to assist decide its fields, and the heads of these organisations voted to disclaim LIV’s utility.
The U.S. Open and British Open this yr created a class to supply a path for at the very least one LIV Golf participant this yr. Joaquin Niemann earned that spot within the U.S. Open. The Masters has stated it will probably get the sector it wants by means of use of its particular invites.
Immelman didn’t say whether or not he had any inclination from his conferences with O’Neal that one other utility was within the works.
“Our course of is to not go chasing excursions,” Immelman stated. “Now we have an open door coverage. Whoever desires to use is greater than welcome. There isn’t any strain from our facet. We enable these excursions to determine what their finest technique is.”
However he stated the rejection letter former OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson despatched to LIV in October 2023 was “fairly clear” with the place the board had discovered on the time.
“I might say that’s nonetheless case,” Immelman stated. “However till a brand new utility is put in, there’s nothing actually we will do about it. If the LIV Golf League is eager to be a part of the OWGR, then they should go forward and put one other utility in. That’s actually the place we’re.”
Immelman stated he has loved attending to know O’Neil, whom he described as a “very sensible man who understands the enterprise world in sport.”
“He’ll be the primary to inform you he’s nonetheless studying the golf panorama,” Immelman stated. “I’m positive he’ll try this fairly quick.”