LIV Golf’s Bubba Watson: ‘We Shouldn’t Go After World Ranking Points’

LIV Golf's Bubba Watson agrees with Phil Mickelson that the league's top golfers should have a pathway into men's golf four majors.

"We shouldn't go after world ranking points," Watson told reporters on Wednesday at Trump National Doral in Miami, site of this week's LIV Team Championship. "We should go after top 10, top 15 on the money list -- our points list on LIV should get into majors. Makes it easy. These guys are so good.

"The top 10 this year could play against anybody. You could make a U.S. team, you could make a European team, they could play with anybody, our top 10."

The comments come on the heels of the Official World Golf Ranking Board rejecting LIV Golf's application for world ranking points on Oct. 10, rendering the league's players unable to rise in the OWGR through their play on the Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed circuit.

Mickelson reacted to the decision by calling the OWGR a "monopoly" last week on X (formerly Twitter). The board of the OWGR consists of chairman Peter Dawson -- the former CEO of the R&A -- Will Jones, the executive director of Augusta National Golf Club, Keith Pelley, the CEO of the DP World Tour, Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America, Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, Martin Slumbers, the CEO of the R&A, Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA and Keith Waters, a representative from the International Federation of PGA Tours.

Pelley, Monahan and Waters recused themselves from the board's consideration of LIV Golf's application, as their respective organizations have all been embroiled in legal disputes with the fledging league.

On Wednesday, Mickelson, like Watson, said that the major championships (the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship) could create an avenue for LIV Golf players to qualify for the events.

"They could create vehicles for players on LIV to play in majors where they don't have to use the OWGR," the six-time major champion told reporters.

If Watson and Mickelson's suggestion were to be put in place, who would then qualify for the majors? Well, the top 10 in the individual standings consists of Talor Gooch, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III, Mito Pereira, Branden Grace and Charles Howell III.

Smith, Koepka, DeChambeau and Johnson have all won majors within the last five years, exempting them into four in 2024. However, Reed is only exempt into the Masters as a former champion, while Varner, Pereira, Grace and Howell are currently on the outside looking in.