Any ideas LIV Golf had of using the MENA Tour as a way of worming their way into the Official World Golf Rankings have been kiboshed.
Less than 24 hours after Greg Norman had revealed a “strategic alliance” with the developmental tour, a Dubai-based circuit which holds events in the Middle East and North Africa, OWGR had released a statement saying this wouldn’t necessarily mean getting what they want.
It read: “Official World Golf Ranking received a communication from the MENA Tour [that] detailed significant changes to the MENA Tour’s membership structure along with an outline of the initial series of tournaments in the 2022-23 MENA Tour season.
“OWGR notes that the first two tournaments in this series appeared to be the same as the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments in Bangkok and Jeddah. The communication from the MENA Tour included a starting field data file for the Bangkok tournament, confirming that to be the case.
“A review of the changes to the MENA Tour is now underway by the OWGR.
“Notice of these changes given by the MENA Tour is insufficient to allow OWGR to conduct the customary necessary review ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (October 7-9) and LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (October 14-16).
“Only after the review is complete will a decision be made on awarding points to the MENA Tour’s new ‘Limited Field Tournaments’, defined by the MENA Tour in its Regulations as ‘any MENA Tour-approved tournament, which comprises of a player field of less than 80 players’.
“Regular official MENA Tour events conducted over 54 or 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes, and its Tour Championship, typically conducted over 54 holes with no cut, remain eligible for inclusion in the OWGR.”
Back to the drawing board, Greg.
Alex Perry
