On Sunday, LIV Golf players were awarded world ranking points at a LIV event for the first time, following the Official World Golf Ranking’s official recognition of the tour last week.
While LIV Golf’s CEO and some of its players aren’t happy that only the top-10 finishers get ranking points, they should be pleased after seeing the latest OWGR update.
The newest data was released on Monday, and several LIV pros skyrocketed in the ranking, while one former PGA Tour winner who joined LIV this year saw his ranking drop despite a 7th-place finish.
Here’s what you need to know.
LIV Golf earns world ranking recognition for first time
For most pro golfers who joined LIV Golf over the past few years, the story has been one of a plummet in the world ranking. That’s because from its inception in 2022, LIV Golf events did not award OWGR points.
But that all changed last week. After its latest review, which was preceded by major changes to LIV Golf rules, the OWGR officially recognized LIV for the first time.
But their announcement included one big caveat. Only the top-10 finishes at LIV Golf events would receive ranking points. For comparison, all players who make the cut in PGA Tour and DP World Tour events earn ranking points.
In an official statement responding to the news, LIV complained about the “unprecedented” top-10 restriction its tour faces.
The OWGR recognition was effective immediately, so world ranking points were up for grabs at LIV Golf’s season opener in Saudi Arabia.
LIV players make world-ranking leaps after LIV Golf Riyadh
Unsurprisingly, there was a ton of movement in the OWGR once world ranking points were doled out to the top-10 finishers from LIV Golf Riyadh on Monday.
Let’s start with the man who won the tournament, Elvis Smylie. Smylie is a 23-year-old Australian pro with a bright future. He was one of LIV Golf’s biggest gets when he signed with the league ahead of the 2026 season.
It didn’t take long for Smylie to show off his prowess. In his very first start at LIV Golf Riyadh, Smylie held off a charging Jon Rahm to capture the victory.
After receiving the most ranking points in the field for his win, Smylie leapt from 133rd in the OWGR to 77th. With a few more strong starts, Smylie will have a chance to enter the top 50, which would grant him access to golf’s four majors.
Rahm, a two-time major winner, climbed from 97th all the way up to 67th with his runner-up finish in Riyadh.
But the most dramatic world ranking improvement belonged to Sebastian Munoz. The former PGA Tour pro, who once reached as high at 49th in the OWGR, has seen his world ranking tank since joining LIV.
Munoz started the week at 767th in the OWGR. After finishing 8th in Riyadh, Munoz climbed over 200 spots to 566th.
Interestingly, one of LIV Golf’s newest players saw his ranking drop despite a top-10 finish. Thomas Detry, who won the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, finished 7th at LIV Golf Riyadh. But he dropped one spot in the ranking from 62nd to 63rd.
How does this compare to LIV Golf’s two most high-profile departures this season, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed?
Between solid performances in the majors, Asian Tour and DP World Tour events, Reed maintained his world ranking better than most LIV Golf pros. But since announcing his departure from LIV, Reed has been on a tear on the DP World Tour.
He was ranked 44th before his win at the Dubai Desert Classic in January. He finished T2 at the Bahrain Championship, then won again last weekend at the Qatar Masters. As a result, Reed’s OWGR position has improved to 17th.
Koepka has not seen the same success since rejoining the PGA Tour in January. In his first start at the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open, Koepka finished T56 and improved his ranking slightly from 255th to 252nd. But a missed cut at last week’s WM Phoenix Open dropped Koepka back to where he started the year at 255th.
For another PGA Tour comparison, take Chris Gotterup. The young star won the 2026 Sony Open to move from 28th to 17th in the OWGR. After winning the 2026 WM Phoenix Open on Sunday, Gotterup launched up to 5th in the OWGR.
You can check out the full list of top-10 finishers from LIV Golf’s season opener below, along with their movement in the Official World Golf Ranking.
LIV Golf OWGR movement after LIV Golf Riyadh
1 – Elvis Smylie: 133 to 77
2 – Jon Rahm: 97 to 67
3 – Peter Uihlein: 199 to 154
T4 – Abraham Ancer: 616 to 449
T4 – Thomas Pieters: 564 to 419
T4 – David Puig: 95 to 87
7 – Thomas Detry: 62 to 63
8 – Sebastian Munoz: 767 to 566
T9 – Lucas Herbert: 257 to 223
T9 – Branden Grace: 463 to 401
T9 – Byeong Hun Ann: 111 to 107
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