LIV Golf Forms Alliance with MENA Tour with Goal to Earn World Golf Ranking Points

LIV Golf is forming a strategic alliance with the MENA Tour in an effort to obtain Official World Golf Ranking points, per James Corrigan of The Telegraph.

Performances in LIV Golf tournaments have not been reflected in on the OWGR board through the first five events of the start-up league. That's a hindrance for LIV Golf players who could use the OWGR pathway to qualify for majors.

Of note, the top 50 in the OWGR in the week prior to the Masters automatically qualify for the event. The top 60 qualify for the U.S. Open.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach provided more insight and context into the alliance, which will reportedly be announced Wednesday.

"The MENA Tour, a feeder circuit that has staged tournaments in the Middle East and North Africa, had been shuttered for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic before staging a tournament in May. Founded by the Dubai-based Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation in 2011, the MENA Tour was recognized by the OWGR governing board in May 2016."

Sources told Schlabach that LIV Golf is hoping the OWGR governing board will confirm that LIV Golf players will get world ranking points before the beginning of its next event, which will start Friday at Stonehill Golf Club just north of Bangkok.

LIV Golf has two more events this year: one in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a season-closing tournament in Miami. Next year's schedule will have 14 events.