Niemann suffers embarrassing blow after winning LIV event and firing dig

04 March 2024 , 23:22

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Joaquin Niemann's sensational start to the year has not prevented him from sliding down the OWGR (Image: Jason Butler/Getty Images)

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has come under further scrutiny after Joaquin Niemann fell further down the rankings despite the LIV Golf star's sensational form.

The Chilean has won three times in the past three months, including LIV events in Jeddaj and Mayakoba as well as the Australian Open. Niemann also finished tied for fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic and his form has earned him a special invitation to The Masters at Augusta National next month.

Niemann peaked at No. 15 in the OWGR when he was a rising star on the PGA Tour, winning the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, but in August 2022 he defected to LIV Golf and he has slid down the rankings since. LIV events are not sanctioned by the OWGR due to concerns over the format, which includes a team competition and is played over 54 holes rather than 72.

And despite a memorable weekend in Saudi Arabia for the 25-year-old, banking £3.1million after winning at Royal Greens by four strokes from Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, he fell four places in the latest update to the OWGR on Monday, occupying 76th.

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Unlike some of his LIV counterparts, Niemann has made a concerted effort to protect his world ranking, playing in events on other tours to accrue ranking points. But it was not enough to earn a place in The Masters outright until he received one of three invitations from Augusta National, alongside Ryo Hisatsune and Thorbjorn Olesen.

Unless he wins at Augusta, it is unlikely he will be in the field for the other three majors this year. And Niemann was quick to throw a barb at the OWGR in his winner's interview on the 18th green in Jeddah. When asked if he was among the favourites to win The Masters, he replied with a wry smile: "How's that possible? I'm 100th in the world?"

Joaquin Niemann won LIV Golf Jeddah on Sunday

Many LIV players have slammed the OWGR for failing to sanction the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tour, including 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith in October. He said: "I think [the OWGR] is almost obsolete now. We've got some guys out here who are playing some of the best golf in the world & they're outside the top 100, 200 in the world. It's pretty ridiculous."

Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson concurred. He said: " I feel like you can't really use the world ranking system any more. It's hard to use the world ranking system if you're excluding 48 guys that are good players. The rankings are skewed.”

LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman launched a fresh attack on the OWGR last month, when only two LIV players excluding new signings Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were in the top 50. Norman said the rankings were "laughable".

Sam Frost