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LIV Golf on Wednesday announced its "strategic alliance" with
MENA (Middle East and North Africa), which is recognized by the
OWGR.
The deal was completed, ostensibly, in the hopes of LIV golfers
being able to accrue world ranking points immediately,
circumventing the one-year wait of its direct application to
OWGR to receive points.
In its statement, OWGR said it received communication from the
MENA Tour on Wednesday of a series of changes, including an
outline listing its 2022-23 tournaments. The first two listed
happened to be LIV events - Bangkok (Friday-Sunday) and Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia (Oct. 14-16).
"Notice of these changes given by the MENA Tour is insufficient
to allow OWGR to conduct the customary necessary review ahead of
the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (7-9 October) and LIV Golf
Invitational Jeddah (14-16 October)," OWGR posted to its website
and social media.
"Only after the review is complete will a decision be made on
awarding points to the MENA Tour's new ‘Limited Field
Tournaments,' defined by the MENA Tour in its Regulations as
‘any MENA Tour-approved tournament, which comprises of a player
field of less than 80 players.'"
OWGR recognized the MENA Tour beginning in 2016. MENA was
founded in 2011.
LIV sent a letter to OWGR last month urging its inclusion in the
points-ranking system. At issue is that OWGR standings are used
to determine exemptions for golf's four major championships and
to qualify for the Olympics.
The OWGR board began consideration of LIV's application for
inclusion in a meeting that took place at The Open in St.
Andrews in July. The application process can take up to a year.
However, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour CEO
Keith Pelley are among the OWGR board members.
--Field Level Media
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