Phil Mickelson: Rankings debate unfolding ‘just like we thought’
Several PGA Tour stars have openly questioned the value of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system without the inclusion of LIV Golf players. Phil Mickelson, who has actively campaigned on social media for the OWGR to recognize LIV events, was not surprised. “I don’t really have any more to add. But it is all…
Several PGA Tour stars have openly questioned the value of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system without the inclusion of LIV Golf players. Phil Mickelson, who has actively campaigned on social media for the OWGR to recognize LIV events, was not surprised. “I don’t really have any more to add. But it is all starting to play out just like we thought it would,” Mickelson said on Thursday ahead of this week’s LIV event in Hong Kong. The Saudi-backed league has ceased efforts to be included in the OWGR, leading PGA stars such as Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, and Matt Fitzpatrick to question the legitimacy of the rankings without several top players. “Obviously, now when you have a huge chunk of really, really good players that are not getting any ranking points, it definitely devalues that ranking,” said Hovland, who reportedly declined a substantial offer to join LIV.
This development is the latest sign of easing tensions between players on the rival tours. That support allowed Mickelson to highlight the “extremely strong” product LIV is delivering globally. He described the league as a startup that can experiment and implement new ideas without lengthy delays. Mickelson pointed to the well-received nine-hole pro-am format LIV players participate in before events. “I think it’s a very big thing, an important part of the overall experience,” Mickelson said. “The interaction on pro-am day between the players and the amateurs is important because many of those players are people making decisions to support the game of golf, to sponsor it, to support other pros, or just bring notoriety to the game. It’s a positive for both sides. When that was discussed with LIV, it made sense, and we did it. Conversely, I tried for 10 years to make that happen on the (PGA) Tour. It took 15 years to get something like that done. I think that shows how fluid LIV Golf is and the ability to make decisions quickly and move swiftly to improve.” Hong Kong is the fourth of 14 scheduled events in LIV Golf’s third season and one of eight international stops.
While many have questioned the league’s format and its investment of billions of dollars to lure star players, Mickelson claimed the international aspect of the tour demonstrates its global growth. “I’m proud to be a part of LIV Golf, and all the players on LIV are proud to be out here and enjoying it,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we can adjust to make it better, and we continue to do so weekly and make subtle changes. But our product is extremely strong. We have so many of the best players in the world, and the ability to move the best players around the world to showcase golf at the highest level into parts of the world that have never been exposed to it has really helped push the game.”