Members of the LIV Golf setup have watched their names slide down the world rankings after their decision to abandon the PGA Tour, but an appearance at last week’s Masters has given some players a much-needed boost.
A handful of LIV Golf stars finally saw their names climb up the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after making the cut at the Masters last week.
LIV’s world ranking issue has been well-documented, and their 54-hole tournaments continue to take place without OWGR points available. This has resulted in its players falling down the rankings, but 13 were given the opportunity to climb back up the list after competing at the Masters.
In total, five breakaway circuit players missed the 36-hole cut, preventing them from earning OWGR points, while Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm made no progress despite getting it to the weekend.
Six stars however ensured their world ranking is trending upwards, with Bryson DeChambeau the biggest mover after his tied-sixth finish. As well as the Crushers GC captain, here is a look at who else managed to bank some much-needed ranking points in Georgia.
Bryson DeChambeau (210th to 110th)
As previously said, former world No. 4 DeChambeau made the greatest LIV jump on the list, following a career-best performance at the Masters. The American led after 18 holes at Augusta, but shared the lead with Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa at the halfway stage.
However, DeChambeau was unable to keep up with world number one Scheffler and finished nine strokes behind the champion. DeChambeau’s top-six finish moved him up 100 places in the OWGR rankings, from 210th to 110th.
Cam Smith (68th to 52nd)
Cam Smith, the skipper of Ripper GC, finished tied for sixth with DeChambeau. The Australian talent understands what it takes to succeed on the big stage, having won the 2022 Open Championship just weeks before his LIV defection. Smith did not win the coveted green jacket this time, but he performed admirably on a course where he has a strong record.
Despite never really clawing his way into contention, his one-under-par 71 in last Sunday’s final round at Augusta propelled him into the top ten for the fourth time in five years. The former Champion Golfer of the Year advanced 16 places, from 68th to 52nd.
Tyrrell Hatton (19th to 16th)
Tyrrell Hatton is next on the list, having managed to maintain his position in the world’s top-20 with an outstanding performance at Augusta. The Englishman is one of LIV’s newest signings, and he took advantage of a rare OWGR-sanctioned event by placing tied for ninth, moving from 19th to 16th in the world.
For Hatton, the finish was more important than most, as the Legion XIII star secured a spot at the 2025 Masters regardless of his position in a year’s time after finishing the week in the top-12 on the leaderboard.
Patrick Reed (112th to 85th)
Patrick Reed has no reason to worry about his future exemption at the event after winning the green jacket in 2018, but he will undoubtedly be eager to make up as much distance as possible in the global rankings after losing his playing privileges at the other three major championships.
While he was unable to recreate his heroics from six years ago, Reed did well at Augusta, finishing tied-12th after shooting a level-par 72 in the final round. This propelled him back into the world’s top 100, placing him 85th.
Joaquin Niemann (93rd to 82nd)
Joaquin Niemann, the breakaway league’s Order of Merit leader, has recently left the LIV circuit in search of global ranking points. The Chilean fell short of breaking into the world’s top-50 to secure a Masters spot earlier this year, but his efforts across many tours were rewarded with a unique invitation to compete at Augusta National.
After accepting, Niemann finished the week tied for 22nd at four-over-par, moving him up 11 places in the rankings from 93rd to 82nd.
Phil Mickelson (166th to 151st)
One of Augusta’s most consistent performers, Phil Mickelson, was also in play last week, and while he was unable to repeat his tied-second finish at the 2023 event, he did manage to make a rare climb in the world rankings. The three-time green jacket champion finished the week tied for 43rd at eight-over
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