Tag: LIV Golf Jeddah

Kevin Na withdrew from LIV Golf Jeddah midway through the second round

Kevin Na opened the event Friday with an even-par 70.

Kevin Na hasn’t had much success on the golf course since leaving the PGA Tour behind and joining the LIV Golf Series.

In five starts before this week’s Jeddah event, Na totaled zero top-10 finishes and three outside the top 30.

During the second round in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the 39-year-old withdrew from the event. He’s dealing with a sickness that reportedly began last week in Bangkok. Na opened the event with an even-par 70 on Friday.

In two weeks, LIV Golf makes its return to the United States for the team championship in Miami at Trump National Doral.

Na’s Iron Heads GC currently ranks No. 7 in the team standings. In Jeddah, they’re tied for 10th after the second round.

Peter Uihlein leads Brooks Koepka by one shot with 18 holes to play.

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Peter Uihlein chases down Brooks Koepka to lead LIV Golf Jeddah by one heading into final round

Seven birdies, an eagle and a double added up to a 7-under 63 for Uihlein.

Brooks Koepka didn’t have a poor Saturday. The 32-year-old shot a second-round 3-under 67 and now has a chance to win on Sunday for his first LIV Golf title.

But Peter Uihlein had himself a day.

The Oklahoma State product chased Koepka down Saturday with a 7-under 63 and holds a one-shot lead at 12 under with 18 holes to play. Uihlein finished fourth in London at LIV Golf’s debut and was the runner-up to Cameron Smith in Chicago.

Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia are tied for third at 9 under, three back. Abraham Ancer and Paul Casey round out the top five at 8 under.

LIV Jeddah: Leaderboard

The shot of the day belonged to Talor Gooch, who cashed this approach shot from a bad lie for an eagle.

Dustin Johnson is T-7 at 7 under while Cameron Smith is T-27 at 3 under.

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LIV Golf Jeddah: Brooks Koepka off to hot start in Saudi Arabia as he leads by two after 8-under 62

In five LIV Golf starts, Brooks Koepka has one top-10 finish.

We haven’t heard from Brooks Koepka in a while.

In the four major championships this year, the Florida State Seminole finished 55th twice and missed two cuts. Since moving to the LIV Golf Series, Koepka has just one top 10 in five starts. His last worldwide win came at the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.

All in all, he’s been off the map.

But he’s off to a great start at this week’s LIV event in Jeddah, posting a bogey-free 8-under 62 to lead Charl Schwartzel by two and a group of three players, including Patrick Reed, by three shots.

Koepka’s brother, Chase, was at the top of the board at one point during the first round and Brooks took notice.

“It was really special, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” Brooks said after his round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.

LIV Jeddah: Leaderboard

Chase eventually signed for a 2-under 68 and sits T-16 with both Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith.

Phil Mickelson, who was blunt with his remarks earlier in the week in regard to LIV and the PGA Tour, posted an opening-round 3-under 67 and is tied for ninth.

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‘I’m getting hammered’: Patrick Reed dishes on OWGR points, doesn’t believe he’s 56th in the world after LIV Golf move

Patrick Reed said his Official World Golf Ranking is “getting hammered” and he doesn’t believe he’s ranked 56th.

Patrick Reed was No. 25 on the Official World Golf Ranking to start the year. By the time he started playing in LIV Golf events at the end of June, Reed had dropped to 38th.

As the upstart series led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund tees up its regular-season finale this week with LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, Reed has fallen to 56th in the world, a ranking he doesn’t agree with.

“I’m getting hammered,” Reed said of his current OWGR status. “The only thing I’ll say about all of that is the longer that you have competitive golf and competition with such great players and top players, the longer they’re playing events that aren’t getting World Ranking points, it just makes the World Ranking system insignificant.”

“Let’s be honest; it’s not a true system if you’re not counting all the events and having points for everybody,” he continued. “If you’re competing for a golf tournament and they meet every criteria that you’re supposed to meet in order to have World Ranking points, then they should be getting World Ranking points no matter what. It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, who you’re playing, what Tour you’re on, anything like that.”

Some OWGR guidelines include a 36-hole cut and direct access for players to enter events, two criteria that LIV currently do not meet. Sports Illustrated, however, has reported that while the OWGR handbook contains a list of guidelines, the OWGR board may award points to a tour whether they follow the guidelines or not.

“If you’re trying to say that we don’t deserve World Ranking points, this and that, then it’s a political battle, it’s not an actual true system,” added Reed. “Last time I checked, every sport you play, it’s based off of competition and who you’re playing, how strong that field is and who wins, and you’re allocated certain things. It doesn’t matter what tour you’re playing on.”

Reed is the latest in a choir of LIV players to sing the tune that questions the credibility of the OWGR, and follows Graeme McDowell, who said, “The word ‘Official’ has to go away’ from rankings, and Mickelson, who seemingly couldn’t be happier these days.

Following this week’s event in Saudi Arabia, the series will return stateside for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami at Trump National Doral, Oct. 28-30, where teams will compete for $50 million.

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‘I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve’: Phil Mickelson believes PGA Tour is ‘trending downwards’

“I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I love the side that I’m on.”

In the war that is LIV Golf vs. the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson believes he’s on the winning side.

At this week’s Greg Norman-run showcase in Saudi Arabia, the man known as Lefty didn’t mince words when it came to each league’s current and future status in the game of golf.

“I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf,” Mickelson said Thursday before the 54-hole no-cut event gets underway Friday with a shotgun start.

“We play against a lot of the best players in the world on LIV and there are a lot of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. And until some of the — well until both sides sit down and have a conversation and work something out, both sides are going to continue to change and evolve.”

LIV’s continued pursuit of evolution took another step last week as they announced a “strategic alliance” with the little-known MENA Tour in an effort to receive Official World Golf Ranking points for its players.

The OWGR denied LIV members points for their events in Bangkok and Jeddah but has yet to clarify if future events will yield different results.

Dustin Johnson, who has finished inside the top eight in five of six LIV events including a win at the Boston stop, has fallen to No. 24 in the world. Cameron Smith, thanks to his win at the Open, remains at No. 2.

Despite its lack of recognition from golf’s power rankers, Mickelson believes LIV and the Tour are headed in opposite directions.

“I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I love the side that I’m on. And I love how I feel. I love how I’m reinvigorated and excited to play golf and compete. I love the experience. I love the way they treat us.”

Could it be this newfound energy Mickelson has discovered comes from the relieved stress of no longer having to compete for a spot above the cut line — during his last full season on Tour, he had twice as many missed cuts as top 40s — or maybe it’s because he can finally let his calves breathe during tournament rounds.

Who could know for sure?

Phil Mickelson waits to tee off from the 12th tee box during the first round of a LIV Golf tournament at Rich Harvest Farms. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

When asked if he’s surprised LIV has been able to pull off what they have, Mickelson gave credit to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I’m not surprised, no. I believe in the passion — look, the game of golf is very lucky to have the PIF invest in the game,” he said. “The sport of the game of golf is being influxed with billions of dollars now. And the ability to go global and make golf a truly global sport is really beneficial for the game.”

In unrelated news, Brendan Steele finished his first round Thursday with a one-shot lead as the PGA Tour plays the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Mickelson’s LIV resume has improved over the last few events. After opening with four straight finishes outside the top 30 in 48-man fields, the 52-year-old grabbed 8th in Chicago and 17th in Bangkok.

He’ll need something similar this week in Jeddah as his Hi Flyers GC currently sits ninth out of 12 teams with the team championship in Miami next on the calendar.

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‘I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve’: Phil Mickelson believes PGA Tour is ‘trending downwards’

“I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I love the side that I’m on.”

In the war that is LIV Golf vs. the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson believes he’s on the winning side.

At this week’s Greg Norman-run showcase in Saudi Arabia, the man known as Lefty didn’t mince words when it came to each league’s current and future status in the game of golf.

“I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf,” Mickelson said Thursday before the 54-hole no-cut event gets underway Friday with a shotgun start.

“We play against a lot of the best players in the world on LIV and there are a lot of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. And until some of the — well until both sides sit down and have a conversation and work something out, both sides are going to continue to change and evolve.”

LIV’s continued pursuit of evolution took another step last week as they announced a “strategic alliance” with the little-known MENA Tour in an effort to receive Official World Golf Ranking points for its players.

The OWGR denied LIV members points for their events in Bangkok and Jeddah but has yet to clarify if future events will yield different results.

Dustin Johnson, who has finished inside the top eight in five of six LIV events including a win at the Boston stop, has fallen to No. 24 in the world. Cameron Smith, thanks to his win at the Open, remains at No. 2.

Despite its lack of recognition from golf’s power rankers, Mickelson believes LIV and the Tour are headed in opposite directions.

“I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I love the side that I’m on. And I love how I feel. I love how I’m reinvigorated and excited to play golf and compete. I love the experience. I love the way they treat us.”

Could it be this newfound energy Mickelson has discovered comes from the relieved stress of no longer having to compete for a spot above the cut line — during his last full season on Tour, he had twice as many missed cuts as top 40s — or maybe it’s because he can finally let his calves breathe during tournament rounds.

Who could know for sure?

Phil Mickelson waits to tee off from the 12th tee box during the first round of a LIV Golf tournament at Rich Harvest Farms. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

When asked if he’s surprised LIV has been able to pull off what they have, Mickelson gave credit to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I’m not surprised, no. I believe in the passion — look, the game of golf is very lucky to have the PIF invest in the game,” he said. “The sport of the game of golf is being influxed with billions of dollars now. And the ability to go global and make golf a truly global sport is really beneficial for the game.”

In unrelated news, Brendan Steele finished his first round Thursday with a one-shot lead as the PGA Tour plays the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Mickelson’s LIV resume has improved over the last few events. After opening with four straight finishes outside the top 30 in 48-man fields, the 52-year-old grabbed 8th in Chicago and 17th in Bangkok.

He’ll need something similar this week in Jeddah as his Hi Flyers GC currently sits ninth out of 12 teams with the team championship in Miami next on the calendar.

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Graeme McDowell on LIV Golf not earning OWGR points: ‘The word ‘Official’ has to go away’ from rankings

“The word ‘Official’ has to go away from OWGR if they don’t take care of the players out here.”

Graeme McDowell didn’t mince words when he addressed LIV Golf’s ongoing quest to earn Official World Golf Ranking points.

“We all agree and I think most people in the world of golf would agree that the field out here is to a certain strength now where it’s impossible to ignore the talent that’s out here,” said McDowell ahead of LIV’s final regular season event this week at Royal Greens Country Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“The word ‘Official’ has to go away from OWGR if they don’t take care of the players out here.”

McDowell’s argument centered around Dustin Johnson, who wrapped up LIV’s season-long individual championship last week in Bangkok to claim the $18 million bonus prize on top of the $12 million he made over the previous six events thanks to five top-10 finishes and a win in Boston (not to mention four straight team victories worth an additional $750,000 per event).

“If (Johnson’s) world ranking is inaccurate, then the whole system is inaccurate,” said McDowell.

“We’re going to get world ranking points. Just right now it’s another way,” added Johnson. “If we wait too long, all of our rankings are going to drop so much, it’s not going to matter. We are hoping (the OWGR) do the right thing, and all of us hope to hear in the next week or so and this will all go away.”

Don’t hold your breath.

The OWGR announced LIV wouldn’t receive points for its Bangkok or Jeddah events after the upstart circuit led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund formed a “strategic alliance” with the developmental MENA Tour in an attempt to force the OWGR to grant points. The MENA Tour was granted OWGR points in 2016, five years after it was founded in 2011.

McDowell and Johnson were joined by Harold Varner III for their pre-event press conference in the Kingdom – the trio is the three past winners of the Saudi International event held at Royal Greens – and the 32-year-old who’s known for honestly speaking his mind had a different take on LIV’s struggle to earn points.

“For me, I think we knew what we were getting into. I think it’s easy to sit here and say what could happen, what should happen. But obviously, for me, I knew what was going to happen. Like, it wasn’t going to be easy,” he explained. “I think the people at LIV did an unbelievable job … because I don’t know about the check marks. Honestly, I could care less. I knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew what could happen in my career and I accept that.

“I’ve had a great time out here. So the world ranking thing, it’s just been a part of golf for so long, and now all of a sudden some feathers have been ruffled. It’s funny, though, I think. But it is what it is.”

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Dustin Johnson doesn’t sound like he regrets ditching PGA Tour for LIV Golf

Johnson, with a heavy dose of sarcasm: “I was really regretting my decision to come here. It’s just been terrible.”

Dustin Johnson made a name for himself on the PGA Tour. He won 24 times, reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking and won two majors including the COVID 2020 Masters.

Let’s just say he isn’t missing it.

At the end of May, Johnson’s name was featured in the field for LIV Golf’s first-ever event in London and he resigned from the Tour. He’s gone on to finish eighth or better in all but one LIV event since, including a win in Boston. Due to his six-event record, Johnson was awarded with the season-long individual title on Monday. This achievement came with a $18 million bonus.

At this week’s LIV event in Jeddah, Johnson was asked if his four-month journey playing for the Saudi-backed circuit has met his expectations.

“We were talking about this yesterday. I was really regretting my decision to come here. It’s just been terrible,” Johnson sarcastically claimed.

Earning a lot of money playing golf isn’t new to Johnson. He earned over $74 million on the PGA Tour throughout his career. When he joined LIV, it was for reportedly over $125 million.

At this point, $18 million might be pocket change.

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As LIV Golf heads to Saudi Arabia, golfers are playing for second after Dustin Johnson locks up season-long individual title

In LIV’s first six events, Johnson earned five top-10 finishes and a win in Boston.

Dustin Johnson won LIV Golf’s individual crown before the series made it to the Kingdom.

As the upstart circuit led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund prepares to host its regular-season finale in Jeddah later this week, Johnson left little to play for after claiming the individual title and its $18-million prize following his 16th-place finish at last week’s event in Bangkok.

LIV’s season-long individual competition awards points to the top 24 finishers from each event. Johnson, who bagged five top-10 finishes and a win over the first six events, has 121 points to his name, 42 more than Branden Grace in second. This week’s event in Jeddah offers 40 points to the winner and 30 points for second place.

“Locking up the individual competition is big. It’s an honor to be LIV’s first individual season champion,” Johnson said via a release. Over six events the two-time major champion has earned $9,758,600 for his individual performances and $3,000,000 for his 4Aces team performances for a whopping total of $12,758,600.

“From the start, he’s been a LIV Golf cornerstone,” Norman said of Johnson. “He has more than lived up to his billing and he deserves immense credit for clinching LIV’s first individual season title. We look forward to a celebration befitting such a champion in Miami at the end of October.”

Finishing second and third on the season-long points list can still earn players a quick bonus seeing as the runner-up will earn $8 million with another $4 million going to third place. As it stands, Nos. 2-15 are separated by just 39 points: Grace (79), Patrick Reed (76), Cameron Smith (56), Charl Schwartzel (55), Carlos Ortiz (50), Matthew Wolff (50), Peter Uihlein (49), Louis Oosthuizen (49), Talor Gooch (49), Sergio Garcia (44), Joaquin Niemann (42), Eugenio Chacarra (41), Henrik Stenson (40) and Paul Casey (40).

Following this week’s event in Saudi Arabia, the series will return stateside for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami at Trump National Doral, Oct. 28-30, where teams will compete for $50 million.

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MENA Tour responds to OWGR not granting points to LIV Golf events in Bangkok, Jeddah

“Not including our event in this week’s OWGR render the results and subsequent player movements inaccurate.”

LIV Golf announced a “strategic alliance” with the Dubai-based developmental MENA Tour on Wednesday in an effort to gain Official World Golf Ranking points for its upcoming events this week in Thailand and next week in Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday the OWGR released a statement announcing that neither LIV event would earn OWGR points and that, “A review of the changes to the MENA Tour is now underway by the OWGR.”

“Notice of these changes given by the MENA Tour is insufficient to allow OWGR to conduct the customary necessary review ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (Oct. 7-9) and LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (Oct. 14-16),” the statement read.

Early Friday, the MENA Tour responded with a statement of its own from commissioner David Spencer which questions the decision to not grant points to the LIV events, which are now sanctioned by the MENA Tour as part of the alliance.

“We have had various communications with OWGR since submitting our 2022-23 schedule, MENA Tour handbook, exemption criteria and our field ahead of our opening event of our new season which tees off (Friday)” the MENA Tour statement read. “None of this communication pointed towards any technical reason for the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok to be treated any differently to any MENA Tour event, every one of which has received OWGR since we were accepted into the OWGR framework in 2016.”

Spencer noted the tour has followed the OWGR’s guidelines for its 2022-23 season and that, “not including our event in this week’s OWGR render the results and subsequent player movements inaccurate.”

Spencer ended the statement by reassuring his new MENA Tour members – all LIV players joined the MENA Tour as part of the alliance – that the tour “will continue to work tirelessly to resolve this situation with the OWGR.

“The MENA Tour’s guiding principle of maximising playing opportunities and pathways for our Members and growing the great game of golf remains unchanged.”

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