Initially, LIV Golf, a novel circuit due to its competitors system and its limitation to solely 54 gamers per occasion, fought for its tournaments to be valued by the world rating. Every part was a stumbling block for a brand new mannequin that was thought-about too closed to be legitimized. Sooner or later LIV stopped preventing this battle and determined to protect its format, additionally ready for the PGA and the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund) to achieve an settlement.
In view of this, it doesn’t matter by way of the rating that Jon Rahm completed second within the LIV event in Riyadh and sixth in Adelaide, or that he was the champion final season on the 54-hole circuit. This example has induced the ‘Lion of Barrika’ to drop this week to 52nd place, in order that for the primary time since 2017, he’s out of the world’s prime 50, the place he entered when he gained the Farmers that yr.
Tiger Woods made an unforgettable entrance for the inaugural season of the TGL
Falling out of the highest 50 is not only symbolic, as tournaments reminiscent of The Masters and The Open, amongst their many exemptions, set their cut-off level by way of the world rating. At present, Rahm has no drawback with the majors, nevertheless it ought to be remembered that when he left for LIV, he was vying with Scheffler for the highest spot
The Spaniard has began to attain extra because of the truth that he can now play DP World Tour tournaments (till his attraction is resolved), however the one actual technique to climb shortly is thru good leads to the majors. Final yr, he missed the reduce on the Masters and the PGA Championship, for instance, however he was seventh on the British Open and fifth on the Olympic Video games. His efficiency on the DPWT just isn’t dangerous, however these tournaments are removed from scoring like several one on the PGA Tour.
The best-ranked participant on the Saudi-backed circuit is Tyrrell Hatton (eighth), whereas DeChambeau is thirteenth because of his good performances within the majors. It’s logical that Rahm’s decline will proceed, as many of the LIV stars have already fallen. His actual rise is not going to start till Augusta.
