“Our time with the world rankings has passed”: LIV Golf’s new CEO makes big remark after no PIF-backed golfers make it to top 50

Scott O'Neil, the new CEO of LIV Golf, recently spoke up on the ongoing issue of OWGR not agreeing to assign ranking points to the LIV players. LIV is yet to receive accreditation from the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

For a long time, LIV Golf applied for their right to world ranking points, but OWGR rejected them. The organisation expressed their objection to the league's format and participation criteria. The top 50 players in the OWGR hold many benefits under their name, especially relieving exemptions to the 4 Major Championships.

The rejection made it impossible for LIV players to earn ranking points even after a remarkable performance or win in the Saudi-backed league. As a result, this affected their rankings on the OWGR leaderboard. (as reported by The Times) The new CEO of LIV Golf Scott O'Neil commented on this situation:

"I think our time with the world rankings has passed. On behalf of golf and fans around the world, you want to see the best players on the biggest stages. There are several paths to go down, and from conversations with the majors we are hoping the situation continues to evolve in our favour and we are very confident it will."

"We all want the same thing and I’m really confident that clearer heads will prevail. I have a good feeling that the headwinds LIV has seen over the last two and a half years are very quickly going to turn to tailwinds," he added.

OWGR rejected LIV's application back in October 2023. On March 5, 2024, Greg Norman, the then CEO of the PIF-backed league withdrew their application for the world ranking points. The new CEO also commented on the possibility of the Saudi Public Investment Fund investing close to $1.5 billion into the PGA, stating:

"LIV Golf has changed the sport of golf forever in terms of the global approach, innovation and unlocking opportunities for players that have never been seen before. We want more fans attending PGA Tour events, TGL events, DP World Tour events, Asian Tour events and certainly LIV events. More fans for this game is better for us all.

"We will be much stronger together, and assuming and hoping the PIF investment into the PGA Tour happens, it’s a wonderful opportunity to spend a lot more time looking out the windshield and less looking in the rear view mirror," he added.

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Who is Scott O'Neil? More about LIV Golf's new CEO

Born in the United States, O'Neil completed his MBA from Harvard Business School. The American Sports Executive started his career as a sports manager for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Jersey Nets. From 2000 to 2008, Scott O'Neil was the senior VP of Team Marketing and Business Operations at the NBA.

The new LIV Golf CEO was the President of Madison Square Garden Sports from 2008 to 2012. O'Neil also belonged to the Board of Directors of the NBA and NHL for over 10 years. Before starting his career in the Saudi-backed league, O'Neil was the CEO of Merlin Entertainments since the latter part of 2022.

He was responsible for taking care of business operations and growth criteria in the company's over 140+ countries. The British organization operates theme parks and some of the popular tourist spots like Madam Tussauds and the London Eye.

Before Merlin, the new LIV Golf CEO was the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and reportedly, his tenure brought growth worth $2 million. He has managed the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils simultaneously while being the HBSE CEO. Till now, he has more than 25 years of experience in the leadership and management industry.