LIV Golf Tries to Sneak Some World Golf Rankings Points By Partnering With Basically Defunct MENA Tour
LIV golfers are still not eligible for Official World Golf Rating points, but LIV is trying to figure out a way around that. For their upcoming event in Bangkok, LIV has formed a "strategic alliance" with the MENA Tour. The twist? The MENA Tour kind of shut down at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Via Telegraph:
LIV has sought confirmation from the Official World Rankings Board (OGWR) that rankings will be available for the Thailand event that begins on Friday, because it is now part of the MENA Tour, the development circuit based in Dubai which stages tournaments throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Based on a story from Jena Sims' Instagram, LIV is already telling people that their plan is going to work, but it doesn't sound like there's been an official decision yet either way.
In a stunning turn of events, LIV is telling players what they want to hear.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) October 5, 2022
The reality: The MENA Tour (lol) has submitted this week's LIV field as their own.
The OWGR has NOT granted them points for this week's event as of now. https://t.co/JRs5nBLBSp
The MENA Tour did make a bit of a comeback in the Spring when it started to partner with the Asian Development Tour. The plan is for the tours to merge in 2023. If LIV and MENA go through with this partnership, LIV golfers will be eligible for those future MENA events, which each carry a prize pool of $75,000. No, there are no commas or zeros missing there.
Whatever happens, the LIV golfers are already in Bangkok this week and then it's off to Saudi Arabia for an event next week. Then they get a weekend off before returning to Florida for another event. Sure sounds like the type of travel schedule they all were looking to avoid when they signed with LIV, doesn't it?