It’s common knowledge that LIV Golf players have generally dropped down the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) since signing for the circuit. However, the issue is brought into even sharper focus when comparing the rankings of LIV Golf players competing in this week’s Masters to their places a year ago.
Eighteen LIV Golf players have qualified for the tournament at Augusta National this week, and only two aren’t lower in the rankings than this time last year.
One is Cameron Smith. As he teed it up in last year’s tournament, the Australian was World No.6. Smith finished third before eventually winning his first Major, the 150th Open, three months later. That helped him rise to World No.2, but after signing for LIV Golf last August, Smith is currently back in the position he held a year ago.
Beyond him, the list soon takes on a familiar tone for LIV Golf players. Dustin Johnson, who is one of six LIV Golf players who has won The Masters, was World No.8 at last year’s event, but now sits at World No.69, perhaps not wholly surprising considering he has taken part in just five world ranking events since then.
Another high-profile player, Bryson DeChambeau, came into last year’s tournament having recovered from wrist surgery. However, despite his enforced absence in the months leading up to the tournament, he was still World No.14 when it began. This year, he begins as World No.155.
It’s a similar story for Louis Oosthuizen, who was one place behind the big-hitting American at the start of the 2022 tournament. Now, he’s World No.120. It would be lower were it not for his top-10 finishes in two of the eight OWGR events he’s played since then.
Mexican Abraham Ancer joined LIV Golf later than Johnson, DeChambeau and Oosthuizen, who were part of the original intake. That has helped him retain a relatively high ranking, currently World No.31. It is further assisted by his participation in nine world ranking events since, including his win in February’s Saudi International. However, his current position is still 15 places lower than the one he held before last year’s tournament
Brooks Koepka was another relative latecomer to LIV Golf, but, unlike Ancer, he’s only played in five ranking events since The Masters, and failed to finish in the top 10 in any of them. As a result, he’s slipped 99 places, from World No.19 to World No.118.
Chilean Joaquin Niemann’s ranking has held up well by comparison, down just five on 12 months ago at World No.25. That's helped by his participation in 13 ranking tournaments since last year's Masters, which have included five top-10 finishes.
Englishman Paul Casey began last year’s tournament as World No.25, but he was forced to withdraw on the morning of the tournament with a back injury. That kept him out of action until he signed for LIV Golf last July, which helps explain why he is now World No.108.
Elsewhere, another of the original signings, Kevin Na, began last year’s tournament as World No.30. This year, he’s World No.96. It’s slightly rosier for Talor Gooch, though, who was World No.33 12 months ago but is now World No.58.
Meanwhile, Jason Kokrak was two places ahead of Na during the 2022 tournament. However, within three months, he had signed for LIV Golf and now stands at World No.87. Also, Harold Varner III was World No.40 going into last year’s tournament, but is now 20 places lower – a situation helped by his more recent decision to sign for LIV Golf, last August.
As well as 2020 Masters champion Johnson, the rankings have not been kind to five other former Champions now plying their trade with LIV Golf. Charl Schwartzel, who won in 2011, has slipped from World No.171 to World No.214. Meanwhile, Bubba Watson, who won in 2012 and 2014, began last year as World No.66 and now languishes in World No.222, not helped by an injury that kept him out from last May to the turn of the year.
It’s a similar tale of woe for Sergio Garcia, who won The Masters in 2017 and began last year in a healthy World No.50. However, the Spaniard is now World No.161, while the man who won the title the year after, Patrick Reed, has slipped from 34th to 70th in the last 12 months.
Then there’s Phil Mickelson. The three-time Masters winner didn’t play last year thanks to a self-imposed break from the game brought on by controversial comments related to LIV Golf. Nevertheless, he has fallen from 48th a year ago to an alarming 425th, the lowest-ranked LIV Golf player in this year’s field.
Elsewhere, another player who didn’t play last year, Mito Pereira, is the only player higher in the list than before, now World No.53 up from World No.97 12 months ago. That’s helped by his excellent year including a finish of third in the PGA Championship, and the fact he only signed for the circuit in February. Finally, another new signing, Thomas Pieters, begins this year’s tournament as World No.44, 10 places lower than last year.
OWGR Changes Of LIV Golf Players From The 2022 To 2023 Masters
- Abraham Ancer - from 16th to 31st
- Paul Casey - from 25th to 108th
- Bryson DeChambeau - from 14th to 155th
- Sergio Garcia - from 50th to 161st
- Talor Gooch - from 33rd to 58th
- Dustin Johnson - from 8th to 69th
- Brooks Koepka - from 19th to 118th
- Jason Kokrak - from 28th to 87th
- Phil Mickelson - from 48th to 425th
- Kevin Na - from World 30th to 96th
- Joaquin Niemann - 20th to 25th
- Thomas Pieters - from 34th to 44th
- Mito Pereira - from 97th to 53rd
- Patrick Reed - from 34th to 70th
- Charl Schwartzel - from 171st to 214th
- Cameron Smith - still 6th
- Harold Varner III - from 40th to 60th
- Bubba Watson - from 66th to 222nd
