In this year's Masters, only 18 players from LIV Golf participated. However, for the next edition, this number will be reduced by half. Eligibility for the Masters is currently limited to past Masters champions and recent major champions, leaving everyone else outside the top 50 in the world rankings struggling to qualify.
This trend is expected to continue at other major tournaments as well. When the Official World Golf Ranking committee rejected LIV's application, it significantly hindered their chances of entering major competitions.
What's often overlooked in the discussion of the OWGR's decision is the impact it will have on LIV players' participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Olympic Golf Ranking for the 2024 Games started on June 13, 2022, just two days after LIV Golf wrapped up its inaugural event near London.
LIV Golf players argue that the world rankings no longer hold credibility without their inclusion. They are pleading with the four major tournaments to create a pathway for their top players to gain entry.
Unfortunately, there's no going back for the Olympic ranking, which has already been in effect for 16 months and was approved long ago by the International Olympic Committee.
At the Kasumigaseki Country Club near Tokyo, the 60-man Olympic field featured 11 players who had signed up for the financial incentives offered by LIV Golf, including Sebastian Munoz of Colombia and Paul Casey of England, both of whom were part of a seven-way playoff for the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
"The golfers who passed on it, I've got no words for them," Casey said on that day. "All I would say is that I think representing your country is the greatest thing you can do."
By joining LIV Golf, some players sacrificed the opportunity to represent their countries in the Olympics, and perhaps, they are content with that decision. Golf made a comeback in the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year hiatus, and the events in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo demonstrated that golf is a suitable fit for the Games.
Some players may not even have a choice in the matter. The 60-man field for the Olympics is determined directly from the world rankings on June 17, 2024, with a maximum of two players per country, or four if all are within the top 15.
As of now, with just under five months to go, eight LIV players are within the top 60 in the Olympic Golf Ranking, including Cameron Smith of Australia, Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira of Chile, Abraham Ancer of Mexico, Thomas Pieters of Belgium, Anirban Lahiri of India, Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, and Munoz.
"We're not playing for money, but a medal for your country... it's just so cool," Ancer said after missing out on the bronze medal playoff in Japan by three shots. "I can't wait to be back."
Ancer's wish might come true as he and Pereira are projected to stay within the top 60 of the Olympic ranking by June if no one receives additional ranking points. However, there are still five months and three majors to be played before this is confirmed.
Smith currently holds the 12th spot in the Olympic rankings (and is 19th in the world rankings) and is considered one of the top players, regardless of the circuit he plays in. Along with three majors, Smith is participating in the Hong Kong Open and still has the Australian PGA and Australian Open on his schedule.
He also has to keep an eye on Cam Davis (ranked 42nd in the world), who will have access to 11 "signature events" on the PGA Tour with significant ranking points. Min Woo Lee is closely following Davis and is set to have a PGA Tour card next year.
Thirteen regular LIV players, including Smith, will compete in the Hong Kong Open in two weeks on the Asian Tour, and other Asian Tour events might provide additional ranking points. Every point counts when trying to secure a spot in the Olympics.
One key decision yet to be made is access to major tournaments. Bryson DeChambeau believes that the majors should consider including the top 12 players from LIV, which constitutes 25% of a league that includes some players past their prime and others who may never reach it.
It's worth noting that leaders from the four majors were the only ones on the OWGR committee who voted against awarding LIV ranking points.
The U.S. Open and British Open still have qualifying events — four LIV players made it to the U.S. Open, while three qualified for Royal Liverpool. The PGA of America, though it hasn't explicitly stated its criteria in writing, relies on the top 100 rankings but remains open to considering players from other tours.
The Masters is particularly intriguing, with its special invitation reserved for international players, awarded only three times in the past decade. This invitation isn't based on TV interest but on the recognition that some players, unlike those on the PGA Tour, have fewer opportunities to qualify.
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