Jon Rahm will take the points, but like his bosses, he wants more.
The Official World Golf Ranking announced Tuesday that it would award points to LIV Golf events, though only to the top 10 finishers each week. The winners of LIV events are projected to receive nice chunks of points, but the shares sharply decline from there while 11th place is valued the same as 57th.
LIV, via statement, called the decision “unprecedented,” adding that the league’s members “deserve a system that treats them equally.”
After Wednesday’s first round of LIV’s season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Rahm echoed LIV’s sentiments.
“Yeah, it’s fantastic that we’re getting points,” Rahm said. “It’s fantastic that we’re being recognized in a way. With that said, I don’t like how we’re not being treated the same as every other tour. It seems like the rules that have been in place aren’t really applied to us, with only 10 of us getting points, it doesn’t seem fair. There are small fields out there throughout the course of the year that get full points, or full players get points, right? So, there’s work to be done.”
Though he didn’t win a tournament, Rahm finished inside the top 10 in 12 of 13 LIV events last season. His other finish was a T-11, at LIV Dallas, which wouldn’t have earned him points in this new climate.
Rahm is currently ranked 97th in OWGR and sits T-4, two shots off the lead, after 18 holes under the lights in Riyadh.
“While it’s good for some people, it could cost some players to actually lose world ranking points, instead of gain them,” Rahm added, “because finishing in 11th is basically a missed cut, and we’re already adding to the divisor. But I’m thankful that LIV golf got their foot in the door, and there’s a possibility for us to walk in the room and be recognized as a tour, as we should be.”