Sergio Garcia leads 21 LIV Golf names taking action in search of majors places
The Asian Tour have confirmed that Sergio Garcia will compete in the International Series Macau event, after LIV Golf finally admitted defeat in their fight to be acknowledged by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
A total of 21 players from LIV Golf will head to Macau for the event held between March 14-17, keeping them in contention for the four majors. Although players that left their respective tours for LIV are paid extremely well, their inability to earn ranking points on the Saudi-backed tour could see their majors participation wiped away in the coming years.
While many players on the LIV tour are still high up in the OWGR due to their recent performances, including Jon Rahm who currently sits at No. 3, they will consistently drop places due to not earning more points. The main way players qualify for the majors is by an exemption due to their performance in major golf tours, major tournaments, or their position in the official world golf rankings.
LIV first applied for OWGR recognition in July 2022, and after being rejected last October they've now finally withdrawn their application. The news has sparked a total of 21 players to register for the Asian Tour event, and that number could continue to increase moving forward.
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After LIV's application was rejected and later withdrawn, the players on the Saudi tour now know it's their only way of staying in contention for the majors. It's also an added layer of pressure, as players will have to perform at their best to earn as many points as possible during those events.
Garcia will join the likes of Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, and Ian Poulter in Macau, although they and their fellow LIV participants have been mocked on social media. "Leave the PGA tour to play less Golf. Now playing Asian tour events so they can qualify to play more Golf?" one user posted on X.
"It would be pretty funny if in the end the LIV guys had to play more golf than they would have if they just stayed on the PGA Tour," another wrote. "This is hilarious. I thought they wanted to play less and spend more time with their families?" one fan added.
Following the application withdrawal by LIV, their commissioner Greg Norman wrote a letter to confirm the news. "We have made enormous efforts to fight for you and to ensure your accomplishments are recognized within the existing ranking system," Norman wrote,
"Unfortunately, the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us. Golf fans deserve to see the best players in the world play in the best tournaments. That has always been our goal.
"We continue to seek meaningful communication and relationship with each of the majors to ensure that LIV golfers are fairly represented and golf fans around the world have opportunities to see the best competition possible." Jon Rahm (3), Tyrrell Hatton (17), Brooks Koepka (30) and Cam Smith (50) are the only LIV players currently inside the top 50.
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