On Sunday, LIV Golf players were awarded world-class points for the first time at an LIV event, following the official recognition of the Official World Golf Ranking last week.
While the CEO of LIV Golf and some of his players are unhappy that only the top ten finishers receive ranking points, they should be happy after seeing the latest OWGR update.
The new data was released on Monday, and several LIV pros rose significantly in the rankings, while one former PGA Tour winner who joined LIV this year saw his fall even though he finished in 7th place.
Here’s what you need to know.
LIV Golf achieves world-class recognition for the first time
For many professional golfers who have joined LIV Golf over the past few years, the story has been one of world class decline. That’s because since its inception in 2022, LIV Golf events have not awarded OWGR points.
But that all changed last week. After its recent revision, which was preceded by major changes to the rules of LIV Golf, the OWGR officially recognized LIV for the first time.
But their announcement included one big caveat. Only the top ten finishers in LIV Golf events will receive ranking points. For comparison, all players who win PGA Tour and DP World Tour events earn ranking points.
In an official statement responding to the news, LIV complained about the “unprecedented” limit of the top ten facing their tour.
OWGR recognition was effective immediately, so world-class points were up for grabs at the start of the LIV Golf season in Saudi Arabia.
LIV players are making world-class changes behind LIV Golf Riyadh
Unsurprisingly, there was a big move in the OWGR when world ranking points were released for the top ten finishers at LIV Golf Riyadh on Monday.
Let’s start with the man who won the tournament, Elvis Smylie. Smylie is a 23-year-old Australian with a bright future. He was one of the biggest beneficiaries of LIV Golf when he signed with the league ahead of the 2026 season.
It didn’t take long for Smylie to show his prowess. In his first start at LIV Golf Riyadh, Smylie held off Jon Rahm to capture the win.
After earning the highest points in the field with his win, Smylie jumped from 133rd on the OWGR to 77th. With an extra strong start, Smylie will have a chance to break into the top 50, which would give him access to golf’s four majors.
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Rahm, a two-time winner, moved up from 97th to 67th with his runner-up finish in Riyadh.
But the most surprising improvement in world class was Sebastian Munoz. The former PGA Tour pro, who once reached as high as 49th in the OWGR, has seen his world class tank since joining LIV.
Munoz started the week 767th on the OWGR. After finishing 8th in Riyadh, Munoz climbed over 200 places to 566.
Interestingly, one of LIV Golf’s new players saw his ranking drop even though he finished in the top ten. Thomas Detry, winner of the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, finished 7th at LIV Golf Riyadh. But he dropped one spot on the list from 62nd to 63rd.
How does this compare to two of LIV Golf’s standout moves this season, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed?
Between strong performances at majors, Asian Tour and DP World Tour events, Reed maintained his world ranking better than many LIV Golf professionals. But since announcing his departure from LIV, Reed has been sad 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 ranking has improved to 17th.
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Koepka hasn’t 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 255 to 252. But a missed cut at last week’s WM Phoenix Open dropped Koepka back to where he started the year at 255.
For another PGA Tour comparison, take Chris Gotterup. The young star won the 2026 Sony Open from 28 to 17 at OWGR. After winning the 2026 WM Phoenix Open on Sunday, Gotterup moved up to 5th place on the OWGR.
You can check out the full list of LIV Golf’s season opener top ten finishers below, along with their moves in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The movement of LIV Golf OWGR 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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