“It’s disappointing” - Richard Bland voices concerns over OWGR’s decision against LIV and its impact on golf

The Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) committee recently rejected LIV Golf's application, seeking world rank points. The decision did not settle well among the LIV golfers who expressed their disappointment while speaking to the media.

Richard Bland voiced his concern over the decision. He said that it does not matter where you play golf, OWGR should show your rankings. He said:

"It doesn’t matter where you play your golf. The world rankings should show that – and it doesn’t. I don’t know how you get around that. It’s disappointing because you are just robbing the golf fan, maybe in a few years' time, of the best players playing in the biggest tournaments. And that’s what it should be."

Bland went on to say that this kind of decision hurts golf fans. He added:

"It shouldn’t matter where you play your golf. The game has got to come together and go right. You know that LIV’s here to stay. So, instead of just trying to shut it out the whole time, and hurt the players, and hurt the golf industry, and hurt the golf fans. That's just got to stop.”

As the LIV golfers have been deprived of OWGR points, several of the LIV golfers slipped down from the top 100 list and failed to earn qualifications to compete in the Major tournaments.

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When will Richard Bland tee off at the 2023 LIV Golf Jeddah?

LIV Golf's final individual event will take place this week at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Golfers will tee off for the first round at 12:15 p.m. local time in Saudi Arabia on different holes on Friday, October 13.

All the 48 golfers playing this week have been divided into groups of three. Richard Bland will start his game on the sixth hole at 12:15 p.m.AST with Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann.

Bryson DeChambeau will tee off on the first hole with Cameron Smith and Talor Gooch. They will be followed by Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Branden Grace on the second hole.

Here are the pairings for the first day of the 2023 LIV Golf Jeddah event:

• Hole #1 Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Talor Gooch
• Hole #2 Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Branden Grace
• Hole #3 Dustin Johnson, Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz
• Hole #4 Anirban Lahiri, Harold Varner III, Peter Uihlein
• Hole #6 Sergio Garcia, Richard Bland, Joaquin Niemann
• Hole #7 Matthew Wolff, Abraham Ancer, Pat Perez
• Hole #8 Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson, Paul Casey
• Hole #9 Chase Koepka, Martin Kaymer, Sihwan Kim
• Hole #10 Lee Westwood, Jediah Morgan, James Piot
• Hole #11 Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Bernd Wiesberger
• Hole #12 Matt Jones, Phil Mickelson, Sam Horsfield
• Hole #14 Scott Vincent, Eugenio Chacarra, Thomas Pieters
• Hole #15 Danny Lee, Kevin Na, David Puig
• Hole #16 Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Kokrak
• Hole #17 Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale, Brendon Steele
• Hole #18 Charles Howell II, Dean Burnmester, Carlos Ortiz

The LIV Golf Jeddah will have its finale on Sunday, October 15.