Cameron Smith’s (AUS) efforts to defend his world ranking at the LIV Golf Invitational have paid off.
Smith is ranked 19th in the Men’s World Golf Rankings, up one spot from last week’s ranking, as released on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 13). Smith earned world ranking points for his runner-up finish at the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open, which concluded on Dec. 12, and rebounded from a steady decline in his world ranking this year.
Smith made the switch to LIV, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF), after finishing last season on the PGA Tour. The move came as a shock to the golf world, as Smith had won three majors, including the British Open (The Open) and the Players Championship, which is often referred to as the “fifth major,” and was named Player of the Year. 캡틴토토 도메인
Smith is still going strong, having won two tournaments since moving to LIV. However, he did not receive any world ranking points for playing on the LIV, so his world ranking dropped from No. 3 at the start of the year to No. 20. Eventually, Smith was able to earn world ranking points by competing on the Asian Tour. Smith and other LIV players are competing on the Asian Tour in an effort to stem the continued decline in their world rankings. It’s a necessary evil, especially for players in the top 50 who qualify for next year’s majors.
In the men’s world rankings, Scotty Schaeffler (USA), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), and Yon Ram (Spain) still hold the top three spots. The only change in the top 10 is that Max Homa (USA), winner of the DP WorldTour Nedbank Challenge, is now seventh, while Masch Fitzpatrick (GBR) moves to eighth. Among the Koreans, Kim Joo-hyung is the highest-ranked player at No. 11. Lim Sung-jae and Kim Siwoo are ranked 27th and 41st, respectively.
In the Women’s Golf World Rankings, released on Thursday morning, Lilia Boo (USA) returned to the top spot, ahead of Yin Luning (China), who had been in second place, thanks to her victory over Annika Driven on the Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour. Otherwise, there are no changes in the top 10, with Jin Young Ko (KOR) remaining at No. 4.