Last week’s Masters presented a valuable opportunity for LIV Golf players to secure world ranking points, but unfortunately two of their most notable names – Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson- failed to take advantage.
Last week’s Masters proved to be a disappointing missed chance for LIV Golf luminaries, as Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson witnessed their positions in the Official World Golf Ranking drop.
Returning as past champions at Augusta National, Rahm and Johnson aimed to defend their titles. However, both were unsuccessful in leaving a lasting impression on the event which presented an uncommon chance to accrue word ranking points. Despite being turned down by the ranking system last October, LIV persists with hosting events that offer no OWGR points.
Despite the absence of points for scoring, golfers partaking in the Saudi-supported series have witnessed a decline in their global standings. Rahm currently holds the top position among players who recently switched to this league and has yet to complete his first campaign year.
Ranked third in the world, the winner of 2023’s green jacket journeyed to Augusta last week. He had engaged Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for securing the No.1 spot over recent years. From January 2023 onwards, Rahm successfully remained among the top three players worldwide until he joined a breakaway league after which his rank slipped down to fourth in just three months’ time.
Despite his desire to catch up with Scheffler and McIlroy, the ex-top-ranked player couldn’t do so at the Masters. His defense of the European Ryder Cup title was lackluster as he ended up tying for 45th place and finishing nine-over par after a disappointing week.
Rahm was surpassed in the rankings by Xander Schauffele, causing him to wait until next month’s PGA Championship to attempt regaining his position inside the top-three despite his unwavering LIV loyalties. In an unusual moment, Rahm acknowledged feeling ‘uncomfortable’ with his golf swing which resulted in his worst performance at Augusta thus far.
Johnson, a fellow former champion and LIV star, had an even rougher time as he failed to make the 36-hole cut at the Masters for only the third time in his career. His first two rounds were unforgettable moments of disappointment. On Thursday’s opening round, Johnson scored six-over-par with a scorecard reading 78; this was followed by performing one stroke worse on Friday. Furthermore, as captain of team 4Aces it all came crashing down fast..
After 36 holes, the American golfer finished with a score of 13-over-par and missed the cut by seven shots. Johnson has been part of LIV since its founding in June 2022, which means he felt OWGR’s rejection more than Rahm did. The former world No.1 entered into this year’s first major tournament ranked at an abysmal position of 336th compared to his past glory days.
Johnson’s rankings took a predictable nosedive as he dropped to the 343rd spot after failing to make the cut. However, Johnson can redeem himself by participating in next month’s PGA Championship like Rahm. He is eligible for all four major events until 2025 due to his Masters victory in 2020.
