Bryson DeChambeau is the 48th-ranked player in the world.
His place in the Official World Golf Ranking has gradually dropped since his departure from the PGA Tour to join the upstart, Greg Norman-led, Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf Series.
His last Tour start came at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews where he finished T-8. Prior to the Old Course, his last top-10 finish at a full-field Tour event came at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
A once-popular name in the sport has become a footnote, merely making headlines when losing in long-drive competitions or almost losing his head thanks to a gallery rope.
LIV Golf is in Bangkok, Thailand, this week for its first Asian event. After his opening-round 3-under 69, DeChambeau spoke to the media about LIV’s new alliance with the MENA Tour as the Saudi circuit continues its pursuit of world ranking points.
“They’re delaying the inevitable. We’ve hit every mark in their criteria. To not get points is kinda crazy as, at least I believe, we have the top players in the world,” DeChambeau said after the first round at Stonewall golf course.
“We’re gonna keep dropping down in the rankings until it gets to the point that our rankings won’t ever matter. And that’s what they’re trying to accomplish, and I hope people can see right through that instead of believe the lies they’ve been told.”
You can watch his, and Brooks Koepka’s, full comments here:
The MENA Tour is recognized by the OWGR, and due to their newly stricken “strategic alliance,” LIV was hoping to receive world ranking points as early as this week. On Thursday, the OWGR announced LIV players would not receive points for their event in Bangkok and next week in Saudi Arabia.
After day one, DeChambeau is T-14 while Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Richard Bland and Branden Grace are tied for the lead at 7 under.
While star players like Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith have already won on LIV, DeChambeau is still searching for a finish better than 10th. His last worldwide victory came at Bay Hill for the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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