LIV Golf’s Dustin Johnson who has now spent 135 cumulative weeks as World No.1 down the years has now fallen out of the World’s Top 40 for the first time since February 2010.
Johnson canceled his PGA Tour membership ahead of the inaugural LIV Golf season earlier this summer so that he could put all of his efforts in the Saudi-backed circuit led by CEO Greg Norman.
The two-time major champion and former World No.1 is understood to have received in the region of $150 million for joining LIV Golf.
Johnson, who was last World No.1 in July 2021, now finds himself down at 41 pcs in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) as a result of LIV Golf remaining shut out of receiving any ranking points.
The big-hitting American won his sole LIV Golf tournament in a playoff in Boston.
But his 4 Aces GC team won five of the eight tournaments in the first LIV Golf season.
Johnson has already axed one of his team members, though.
Johnson first became World No.1 in February 2017.
Other standout LIV Golf falls down the rankings include Brooks Koepka down to 49th, Bryson DeChambeau to 63rd and Patrick Reed to 67th.
Koepka, similarly to Johnson, has been a World No.1 for 47 cumulative weeks.
He first held the post in October 2018, and his last stint in the top spot was in February 2020.
LIV Golf’s Cameron Smith remains the highest world-ranked player at third in the world.
Smith made the move to LIV Golf much later than the likes of Johnson.
The Australian also picked up some points following his recent win on home soil.
It will not be long, however, until Smith quickly falls out of the Top 10.
As it stands, LIV Golf will not receive any OWGR points ahead of its second season.
The OWGR believes LIV Golf has yet to meet the correct criteria to be eligible for points, especially as its tournaments are staged over 54 holes and do not have any cuts.
The new LIV Golf League for 2023, which will feature 14 tournaments instead of eight in 2022, will begin in Mexico in February.
Here are some of the early details for the new LIV Golf League.
Next Page: Norman’s letter to LIV Golf players over OWGR bid leaked
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