July 19, 2024. That was the last time we saw Tiger Woods grace the golf course. He participated in The Open Championship 2024 where he couldn’t make the cut. A few months later, the GOAT went into surgery and hasn’t recovered since. He also backed out from the Hero World Challenge 2024 due to his injury.
This has been a common trend since his career-threatening accident in 2021. He mostly plays the majors and the Genesis Invitational before taking a break. Despite the limited schedule, Woods has still been able to maintain a rank on the OWGR board.
It may not be a major task for most big-name players. However, it is still challenging for golfers who have made the switch. LIV Golf pros have been denied OWGR points for playing for the Saudi-based promotion. The only way they can earn points is through the DP World Tour or the majors.
Pros like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm would still be unaffected by the limitations as they have outperformed their fellow golfers on vital occasions throughout 2024. However, 17 LIV golf players are not offered the same luxury.
One of the most accomplished players on the list is Bubba Watson. Watson has amassed 12 PGA Tour victories throughout his career. This included two green jacket victories. Watson won the Masters Tournament in 2012 and reenacted the victory in 2014. He also won the coveted end-of-the-season unofficial event hosted by Tiger Woods, the Hero World Challenge. It’s safe to say Watson would have a lot to complain about regarding his OWGR ranking being lower than his rival, Tiger Woods.
Further down the list are Kevin Na, and Graeme McDowell. Na has had overall 5 PGA Tour wins in his career including the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii. That means he has won a title that awards OWGR points more recently than Tiger Woods. Graeme McDowell has one less win than Na. However, the famous Hero World Challenge rival of Tiger Woods has also captured the 2010 U.S. Open Championship. This places him high on the list as well.
Tiger Woods has announced he will not play in the Hero World Challenge this December as he recovers from back surgery.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 25, 2024
The likes of Pat Perez, Anthony Kim, Martin Kaymer, Brendan Steele, Charles Howell III, and Hudson Swafford would also probably complain about their rank. Each of them has won a PGA Tour event on three separate occasions. Martin Kaymer would probably have the strongest claim at a better rank out of the bunch. Not only has he won two majors in his career, but he is also ranked at 1086, the same as Tiger Woods on the OWGR leaderboard.
An honorable mention goes to Lee Westwood. The Englishman may have only had two PGA Tour victories, but he is a legend in the European circuit. Westwood has won 25 DP World Tour events and has rightfully earned a legend’s status in the golf community.
These were some of the more accomplished pros from LIV Golf who are ranked below Tiger Woods. Let’s look at the remaining 7 pros who haven’t had as glorious careers to warrant better OWGR rankings.
Rightfully ranked below Tiger Woods
There are 4 players who have won 1 PGA Tour event throughout their career and don’t have a great record in Europe as well. This list includes Matthew Wolff, Sebastián Muñoz, Danny Lee, and Talor Gooch.
Englishman Sam Horsfield, Mexican pro; Luis Carrera, and Cameron Tringale probably wouldn’t have too much to say about being placed lower than Tiger Woods. That’s because they have rarely found any success elsewhere in the world of professional golf.
So what do you think of this long list of LIV Golf players who are ranked below Tiger Woods’s 1086 on the OWGR leaderboard? Do you think their place is justified? Share your views in the comments section.
