OWGR set to meet this week. A decision whether to let in LIV Golf could be near
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The LIV Golf League added to its roster by signing NCAA champion Michael La Sasso. It also removed from its league Jinichiro Kozuma, who finished 32nd in the standings last season with three top 10s, including a runner-up finish in Dallas.
Both were curious moves as the Official World Golf Ranking tries to decide whether LIV should get ranking points.
OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman said last month that one hurdle in LIV’s application was that a vast majority of its players were invited to join instead of earning their way, different from the other 24 tours that are part of the OWGR system.
“That’s one of the beauties of our sport is earning your way onto a tour, fighting to keep your job on that tour,” Immelman said at the PNC Championship.
The OWGR board is to meet on Wednesday, and while a vote on LIV was not believed to be on the agenda, there’s a chance a decision could be forthcoming by the end of the week.
The OWGR last month decided that 54- and 36-hole tournaments would have a reduction in points, whether 54 holes was the standard or there was an interruption in play because of weather.
LIV, meanwhile, already announced it was increasing to 72 holes. It also created more pathways through qualifying, though its percentage of turnover still lags well behind other tours.
But with the fifth season of the Saudi-funded league a week way, how the rosters are formed raised more questions for the OWGR to consider in Wednesday’s meeting.
Players out of the top 48 were relegated from the league, a list that includes Henrik Stenson. But four players from the “open” zone (24th through 48th) were not retained — Kevin Na, Jinichiro Kozuma, Max Lee and Matt Jones.
Kozuma told Sports Illustrated that he didn’t learn he would not be part of the Iron Heads — rebranded as Korea Golf Club — until reading about it on social media. He said he reached out to other teams to see if there would be a spot.
“What I found was that teams seemed to be building their rosters not only based on results but also based on team identity and the type of player profile they were looking for,” Kozuma said in an email to SI translated by his manager. “In that sense, I think it was simply difficult to find the right fit for me within the available team openings at that time.”
Six of the 13 teams have all four players born in the same country.
As far as meritocracy, LIV added players like Thomas Detry, Byeong Hun An and Victor Perez, who held membership in other tours.
La Sasso was No. 3 in PGA Tour University ranking. Only the top player advances to the PGA Tour, though La Sasso would have had full Korn Ferry Tour status if he had stayed in the top 10.
Rose waits
Justin Rose is among those who believe Luke Donald has earned the right to decide whether he wants to return as the Ryder Cup captain for Europe a third straight time. Rose would seem to be a logical choice if Donald doesn’t want the job again, and the Englishman is interested.
Just not now.
“From my point of view, if you could lean into it two months before and just take up the captaincy, I’d be interested,” Rose said. “Luke has set such a high bar of what it means to be captain, the work he’s put in, it’s a big commitment.”
Rose has played in seven Ryder Cups, and at age 45 he was the oldest player by seven years at Bethpage Black. He also is No. 10 in the world and was runner-up in two of the last five majors.
“All the previous captains have said if you can play, then push to play,” Rose said. “You’re a long time retired. I think you’ve got to take care of playing if you can.”
His answer if Donald were to decide against a third term as captain? Rose smiled.
“It would be a hard ‘no’ because you don’t want to leave the team in a bad spot,” he said. “And I’m not saying there wouldn’t be a good option, but there’s no natural option at that point. So we’ll see where it all lands.”
Thomas on the mend
Justin Thomas is making strides in his recovery from back surgery in November and is targeting his return during the Florida swing.
Thomas last week posted videos of his gym work and a few swings with wedges in his 10th week after surgery.
“Little victories and patience have been the biggest part of the process,” he wrote. “I’m looking to come back competitively at some point during the Florida swing. I know how important it is to get this injury behind me so that I’m only looking forward over the course of the season.”
Player Advisory Council
Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover is getting involved with tour policy for the first time.
Glover is among four players who have agreed to serve on the Player Advisory Council for the first time, joining Alex Noren, Hank Lebioda and rookie Neal Shipley.
Along with being new to the PAC, Glover and Adam Scott were chosen to run for PAC chairman. The winner will serve a four-year term that starts in 2027 and replace Scott, whose current term ends this year.
Scott was late in his career joining the PAC (and then the board when he was voted PAC chairman), and he came in during turbulent times of LIV Golf and now a revamped schedule. Depending on the election, he could be in for more fun.
The other members of the 16-man PAC include eight players who were on the PAC last year — Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Charley Hoffman, Max Homa, Max McGreevy, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland — along with Jordan Spieth, Corey Conners and Harris English.
Women’s indoor league
Lottie Woad of England and Rose Zhang are the latest LPGA players who have signed up for the WTGL, the tech-infused indoor league for women that starts later this year.
Woad and Zhang are both Augusta National Women’s Amateur champions. They also won in their first tournament as a pro, Woad last year at the Scottish Women’s Open and Zhang at the Mizuhos Americas Open.
Players who previously committed to play in the new league are Brooke Henderson, Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Jeeno Thitikul and Lexi Thompson.
Divots
Scottie Scheffler last week became the third player to crack $100 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour, joining Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. … The LPGA has hired Chad Coleman as its chief marketing officer. Coleman most recently was the chief brand officer at Dude Perfect. He previously was at Callaway Golf as the director of social media and brand partnerships. … Marcus Byrd won the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines to earn a spot in the Farmers Insurance Open this week. Byrd was player of the year on the Advocates Professional Golf Association last year. … Stewart Cink began the week by receiving the award as PGA Tour Champions player of the year. He ended the week with a victory on Hawaii’s Big Island to start the season.
Stat of the week
Scottie Scheffler has won 14 times on the PGA Tour since 2024. Next on the list is Rory McIlroy with five wins.
Final word
“This weekend is pure golf when it comes to television. I have no idea where the schedule is going, but as long as the NFL has an open weekend … this would be the No. 1 piece of real estate you can have on the west coast for television.” — Jim Nantz, CBS golf announcer on the network starting its PGA Tour coverage the weekend before the Super Bowl.
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