Patrick Reed tumbles out of Top 50 OWGR following decision to join LIV Golf

Ever since his triumphant win at the Masters in 2018, Patrick Reed’s opportunities to participate in the other major tournaments will soon dwindle.

Patrick Reed tumbles out of Top 50 OWGR following decision to join LIV Golf

Patrick Reed [Image Credit: Imago]

Ever since Patrick Reed joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series, his ranking has taken a nosedive. Once a Masters champion, he has now slipped out of the top 50 in the world. As a result, he will only have the opportunity to compete in one major tournament this year, the Masters. The reason behind this downfall is that the LIV Golf series does not provide any Official World Golf Ranking points.

Reed’s triumph at the 2018 Masters not only secured him this all-important tournament but also granted him a lifetime exemption to compete in the championship. This remarkable achievement paved the way for him to participate in all four of golf’s major championships for the past more than 4 years. 

YouTube video

The Open Championship, U.S. Open, and PGA Championship welcomed him with open arms, all thanks to his breakthrough victory at Augusta. However, Reed’s decision to join LIV Golf has taken a toll on his rankings, currently placing him at 99th in the world. 

Consequently, he now faces the challenge of either replicating his last heroics and winning the Masters for more than one time this year or performing exceptionally well to break into the top 50 and qualify for the other important tournaments.

LIV Golf is not eligible to earn Official World Golf Ranking points

In October 2023, LIV Golf faced a setback when their application for OWGR points was turned down. This decision had significant repercussions. During an interview with the Associated Press, Peter Dawson, the chairman of the OWGR board of directors, shed light on the challenges the organization encountered while dealing with the concept of a locked field consisting of 48 players.

Greg Norman
Greg Norman (Pic Credit: CNBC)

Dawson made it clear that the decision to exclude certain players from the rankings was purely technical and not influenced by politics. Despite the controversy surrounding the matter, there is no denying the undeniable talent possessed by LIV players. However, the unique format in which they compete makes it challenging to fairly rank them against players from other tours.

The rejection of LIV’s bid for OWGR points last October was primarily due to the league’s distinctive format and promotion system. Some LIV golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, are advocating for a special exemption category in major tournaments to level the playing field. DeChambeau strongly believes that including such an exemption category would provide more LIV members with the opportunity to compete.

Expressing his disappointment, he mentioned towards the end of last year, “It’s disheartening that they are currently unwilling to consider it. We are eager to explore alternative avenues for our exceptionally talented players to participate in the major championship circuit, as I firmly believe that we have some of the best players globally.”

In case you missed it: