LIV Golf kinds strategic alliance with MENA Tour in hopes of securing rankings factors for gamers

LIV Golf is forming a strategic alliance with the little-known MENA Tour in hopes of securing Official World Golf Rating factors for its gamers, a LIV Golf official confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The MENA Tour, a feeder circuit that has staged tournaments within the Center East and North Africa, had been shuttered for greater than two years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic earlier than staging a event in Might. Based by the Dubai-based Shaikh Maktoum Golf Basis in 2011, the MENA Tour was acknowledged by the OWGR governing board in Might 2016.

LIV Golf is predicted to announce the alliance Wednesday. The partnership was first reported by The Telegraph of London.

Sources advised ESPN on Wednesday that LIV Golf officers are hoping for affirmation from the OWGR governing board that its gamers will obtain world rating factors earlier than the beginning of its first occasion in Asia, which begins Friday at Stonehill Golf Membership exterior Bangkok.

LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman has develop into more and more pissed off that the OWGR board hasn’t acknowledged his startup circuit, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.

LIV Golf at present has 12 of the highest 50 gamers in its fields, together with reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith, the No. 3 participant on the planet. LIV Golf rivals didn’t obtain OWGR factors in its first 5 occasions, jeopardizing their possibilities of qualifying for main championships with out beforehand earned exemptions.

In a letter despatched to LIV golfers on Aug. 17, Norman wrote that the brand new circuit “by any honest, goal and neutral overview” ought to be awarded world rating factors for its occasions within the very close to future.

Within the letter, a replica of which was obtained by ESPN, Norman wrote that LIV Golf’s inclusion on the planet rating factors system is “vital for the integrity, accuracy and equity” of the rankings. LIV Golf officers submitted their software to the OWGR in mid-July and it was mentioned by the OWGR Technical Committee throughout the one hundred and fiftieth Open Championship at St. Andrews, in response to Norman.

“With out LIV’s inclusion, the integrity and accuracy of the rankings themselves are severely compromised,” Norman wrote. “We belief the members of the Governing Board of OWGR will perceive and recognize this key consideration, and that they’ll deal with this improvement with the respect it deserves and per their duties as administrators of the Official World Golf Rankings and the duties that attend these directorships.”

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who has suspended gamers for competing in LIV Golf tournaments and not using a conflicting-event launch, is likely one of the eight members of the OWGR board of governors. Different members embody DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley, USGA CEO Mike Whan, R&A chief government Martin Slumbers, PGA of America government director Seth Waugh, Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership government director Will Jones, and Keith Waters, who represents the Worldwide Federation of PGA Excursions.

LIV golfers may also be permitted to compete in different MENA occasions, which have purses of $75,000.