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LIV Golf, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment
Fund, submitted an application to the Official World Golf
Ranking (OWGR) board in July and earlier this month formed an
alliance with the MENA Tour in a bid to fast-track its quest for
ranking points.
The OWGR said it would make a decision after reviewing changes
to the MENA Tour, prompting LIV golfers to say it was dragging
its feet.
Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson clinched the individual
title in the LIV event in Bangkok on Sunday and McDowell said
failure to award him ranking points meant the two-time major
winner was not in his proper spot.
"This guy standing in the middle of the three of us (Johnson),
if his world ranking is inaccurate, then the whole system is
inaccurate," McDowell told a news conference on Wednesday,
speaking alongside Johnson and Harold Varner III.
"I feel like LIV tried to do everything they possibly can to be
legitimate in the eyes of the OWGR.
"The word 'Official' has to go away from OWGR if they don't take
care of the players out here."
Johnson, whose ranking has dropped to 24th from third at the end
of 2021, pocketed $18 million after clinching the individual LIV
title with a 16th-place finish in Bangkok.
LIV Golf has lured away some of the U.S.-based PGA Tour's top
members with huge sums of money, leading to a simmering feud
between the sport's top players and organisers.
Players who compete in the breakaway series have been suspended
from the PGA Tour.
Attempts of Europe's DP World Tour to follow suit have so far
been unsuccessful with LIV players still eligible to compete at
its showcase events pending a court hearing next year.
On Tuesday, former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama said he was
"fully committed" to the PGA Tour but thought golfers competing
on the LIV should be eligible for ranking points.
LIV's individual competition concludes in Jeddah from Oct. 14-16
before a final team championship in Miami.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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