Golf has Never been Stronger as LIV Players Prepare to Return
Golf hasn’t always been the most competitive of sports. While we can all admire an outstanding athlete such as Tiger Woods, others struggled to contest the big tournaments when he was in his prime.
That isn’t the case today with so many stunning players on show. Since the start of 2022, we’ve seen seven different winners of seven straight Major events. Overall, it’s been a great time for golf fans, and it’s about to get even better.
Ranking The Top Players
When it comes to rankings, there are two definitive sources in the world of golf.
The Official World Golf Rankings has traditionally highlighted the players who are delivering their A-game and standing out as the ‘ones to watch’. These standings take into account a player’s form over an extended period of time, and they’re a good indicator for upcoming tournaments, which is why they’re trusted by industry experts and fans alike.
The other major source of rankings in golf is the PGA, as they release Power Rankings ahead of each event. These stats take into account a player’s records at various tournaments but also take note of the qualities they possess, which could see them get over the line.
Rankings Reiterated by Odds
Of course, independent sources pay close attention to each of these rankings. Avid golf fans can get further confirmation about the rankings of golf players from the likes of sports betting markets.
The odds clearly reflect the general feelings around a player’s likelihood of prevailing in a tournament, be it the PGA Championship or the US Masters. Sportsbook franchises such as Draftkings are the authorities when it comes to golf betting, and they assess the world rankings as part of their research.
Those sportsbooks go on to apply exclusive features such as the regular DraftKings promo, along with a host of other bonuses. Live streaming and in-play markets are among the other add-ons that operators employ in order to compete in the industry.
There’s only one issue right now with those official rankings: because the LIV golf tour wasn’t recognized by the PGA, the players involved are rapidly sliding down the list.
The PGA Tour’s Finest
Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 US Masters Champion, has spent many of the subsequent months following the tournament at the very top of the Official World Golf Rankings. His victory at The Players Championship in March was his second of the season, and he’s since added a number of top-five finishes.
Scheffler’s biggest rival right now is Spain’s Jon Rahm. Having already won the US Open in 2021, Rahm added his second Major title with a victory at the 2023 US Masters. The current season has been a spectacular one for the Spaniard with four PGA Tour victories including that Masters success.
Other notable golfers in the world’s top ten include Rory McIlroy, who continues to seek an elusive fifth Major. Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, and Jordan Spieth are also highly rated. The only LIV golfer hanging onto a Top Ten place is Cameron Smith. The Australian remains in seventh, following some strong performances in the Majors.
Top Stars Crossing Back from LIV Golf
Among the golfers who signed up with the LIV Tour are two recent Major winners. Australia’s Cameron Smith won the Open Championship at St Andrews in 2022, while Brooks Koepka claimed his fifth Major with victory at 2023’s PGA Championship.
Koepka’s win underlined the talent drain to LIV and it may have led to the PGA Tour’s surprise announcement. Beyond Smith and Koepka, a number of other Major champions crossed to the LIV stable. Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and Martin Kaymer are among those LIV players to have won at least one of the big four titles.
With the exception of Smith, all of those golfers remain outside of the world’s top ten. However, with the sport’s main Tours now set to unite, that situation will change in the near future.
Players to Watch
Behind those players currently in the Top Ten of the OGWR, there’s some exciting talent coming through. Wyndham Clark’s stunning victory at the 2023 US Open was one of golf’s biggest-ever shocks, and it took him to 13th in the rankings.
Clark may be seen as a journeyman pro, but that victory should give him the confidence to seek more Tour wins. One place behind Wyndham Clark was Tony Finau, a multiple winners on Tour who claimed victory at the Mexico Open in 2023. Finau was once seen merely as a power hitter, but there’s so much more to his game these days.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton has also seen some success Stateside, and Sam Burns enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022. While those golfers are on the rise, some other top stars are beginning to slide down the ratings.
Former Major winners Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas have dropped out of the top ten after poor runs of form. England’s Tommy Fleetwood has also been struggling to find his touch, but strong showings at the 2023 Canadian Open and US Open suggest a resurgence.
There’s some real quality and depth to the rankings right now, and the likely return of LIV players can only provide a boost. Future events should be more competitive, but the improvements won’t just be found in tournament golf.
Other Benefits of a United Tour
The issues between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have also threatened to devalue the greatest team tournament of them all. The Ryder Cup is contested between Team Europe and Team USA every two years, and the US side could be set for a number of notable absentees in 2023.
Europe will also miss some players, but their LIV stars tend to be at the ends of their careers. Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter are at the veteran stage, but their experience could be missed.
The US team will suffer most with the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Dustin Johnson all in their prime. There are suggestions that LIV players will now be welcome at the 2023 Ryder Cup, but the qualification system may rule out some of those names.
Moving forward into 2025 and beyond, a united front that includes all of the world’s best golfers can only make the Ryder Cup more competitive.
Golf’s Bright Future
Very few golf fans expected a truce in the wrangling between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. The announcement of a merger between the two parties, along with the DP World Tour, came as one of the biggest sporting shocks in recent times.
Details are still to be confirmed but, while there will be one central organization overseeing professional golf, there will be separate entities to an extent. The news suggests that players who were formally banned from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour may now re-apply for membership.
Will every golfer take up that option? One of the reasons for the initial wave of defections to LIV surrounded the commitments to the PGA Tour. Many Tour members simply wanted to play less golf. Moving forward, the new Tours will have to be aware of those needs and be flexible with their requirements.
The finer points will begin to fall into place across the remainder of 2023, and there’s more work to be done before everyone is happy with the new deal. The players and officials will debate those details, but for golf fans, this is great news. While the PGA Tour continues to thrill and delight, the LIV players have been missed and their intended return will add a greater competitive edge.
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