Phil Mickelson endured a very tough week at the Masters, and things have only got worse since.
Phil Mickelson has plummeted to a career-low 1,025th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The six-time major champion has, for the first time, dropped out of the top 1,000 globally.
This follows his disappointing performance at the Masters, where he shot five-over par and missed the cut. His ranking came to light after he called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to intervene following the PGA Tour’s ban on Wesley Bryan for participating in a LIV Golf event.
Mickelson’s OWGR ranking has taken a hit since his controversial move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf. When the Saudi-backed circuit debuted in June 2022, LIV Golf was not a sanctioned entity, so no points were awarded – and it remains an unranked tour amid its ongoing dispute with the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf is still not recognised as an OWGR tournament. The fact that the tour only plays 54-hole tournaments, rather than the standard 72, doesn’t help their cause.
In the past, Mickelson has voiced his frustration with the OWGR. When CBS broadcaster Colt Knost responded to a post about the body’s responsibility to award points to LIV Golf, Mickelson shared his views.
“Colt. It is not our job,” the American wrote on X. “It is the owgr’s job to rank ALL the players in the world. Maybe they can do THEIR job and figure it out like they do for multiple tours with hundreds of players not even close to as good. But that would hurt the PGA’s revenue from CBS so the leaders won’t.”
The OWGR oversees rankings for 24 tours globally, while the PGA Tour does have rights deals with CBS Sports, which airs the Masters. Notably, the PGA Tour signed a nine-year contract with ESPN, NBC and CBS that started in 2022, reportedly valued at over £450million ($600m).
Mickelson, along with many other LIV Golf players, has been advocating for the inclusion of OWGR points for their events. However, the three-time Masters winner insists his frustration isn’t personal but rather a fight he’s taking up on behalf of his LIV Golf peers.
“Respectfully, I don’t need OWGR points nor do I care about them for myself,” Mickelson said. “I’m in 3 majors for the next 13+ years and all four majors through 2025. It’s about doing what’s right and calling out the collusion that’s taking place behind closed doors to help JM (Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s commissioner) get all his TV money.”
Despite a career filled with accolades, Mickelson’s ranking has seen a significant decline in recent times, only experiencing a brief resurgence following his unexpected second-place finish at the 2023 Masters. This result propelled him from 425th to 72nd in the world rankings, although he has since fallen outside the top 1,000 players.
