British Open champion and LIV golfer Cameron Smith stated the planet rankings program was becoming “outdated” since points have been not awarded to events in the Saudi-backed series.
The 29-year-old won his initially main at St Andrews in July, and also claimed the Players Championship, producing it to second in the planet, prior to becoming the highest-ranked player to switch to the profitable circuit.
The Australian is now at quantity 4, but other top rated players who have moved to LIV have fallen sharply in the rankings.
Former planet quantity 1 Dustin Johnson, LIV’s 2022 singles champion, has slipped to 46th, even though 2020 US Open winner Bryson Deschamps barely cracks the top rated one hundred, with the American slipping to 96th.
LIV Golf submitted an application to the Official Globe Golf Ranking (OVGR) board final July, but the selection has not been announced.
“For confident, it hurts,” Smith stated Wednesday. “I really feel like I am genuinely close to acquiring to No. 1, and that was unquestionably one thing I wanted to tick off.”
Cameron Smith Getty Pictures
“I believe when you go up in a tournament, you know who you have to beat, whether or not there is a planet ranking or not.” There are normally seven or eight guys that are in that field that you know are going to place up a superior fight.
“Having said that, the longer these items go on, I believe these rankings are becoming additional and additional outdated.” Do we require them? It would be good, but you know who you have to beat when you get on the golf course.”
Critics say LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is a blatant “sporting wash” by a nation attempting to enhance its reputation tarnished by a history of human rights abuses.
Smith will lead the field with LIV golfers at the Asian Tour’s season-opening Saudi International, which begins on Thursday, with Johnson, Deschamps, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson all set to compete.