LIV Golf: Branden Grace says breakaway tour will only get 'bigger and better'

Branden Grace believes LIV Golf will eventually gain rankings points: "You look at WGC and all of that sort of things, limited field events, no cuts, and as far as I know there's no such thing saying it needs to be 72 holes."

Branden Grace has defended his involvement in LIV Golf, stating it's only going to get 'bigger and better'

Branden Grace has defended his involvement with the breakaway LIV Golf tour and believes the tournament will only continue to expand. 

The South African was recently one of 50 players to sign a letter to OWGR chairman Peter Dawson asking the organisation to grant ranking points to LIV competitors.

"Some of us want to play less, that is what we ultimately wanted to do," Grace told Sky Sports. "I play 33 tournaments a year normally, if I can get it down to 25 tournaments a year it's amazing.

"I get to spend more time with the family and things like that. I think it's necessary and I think it's only going to get bigger and better, so why not?"

LIV's application for world ranking status that was issued in July remains under review, among the tournament's apparent drawbacks beings its 48-player fields and no cut.

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In not being recognised by the OWGR, LIV participants face the threat of dropping down the rankings, potentially damaging their chances of qualifying for the four majors.

"There is some qualification criteria that is also being met, guys winning the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, winning the Asia Tour Order of Merit," added Grace.

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"There are guys playing on the Asian Tour which have a chance to qualify for those events. If you're lying top three/top four you get into these events for a certain amount of time until you have to play well on those again to qualify for the next ones.

"Then you have the guys that obviously you need to get into those certain qualification criteria to be able to start something like this.

"You look at WGC and all of that sort of things, limited field events, no cuts, and as far as I know there's no such thing saying it needs to be 72 holes.

"So when you think about things like that, I know it's the beginning of it but sooner or later we're going to get there."

Should LIV Golf players get world ranking points? | 'Abide by the same rules'

Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick both are in agreement that golfers on the LIV Tour shouldn't get any shortcuts in gaining world ranking points

Rory McIlroy believes LIV Golf must make changes to have a chance of getting approved status by the Official Golf World Rankings.

The Saudi-backed breakaway circuit launched earlier this year, with former world No 1 Dustin Johnson and reigning Open champion Cameron Smith among its early signings, although the tour currently doesn't offer players any world ranking points.

"If they meet the criteria they get world ranking points," McIlroy told Sky Sports News ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. "I don't see any reason why they shouldn't, as long as they meet the criteria that is set out.

"The one thing that has been frustrating from the start of this is that they don't want to play by the rules that have been in place for so long. It can't be one set of rules for a certain amount of people and then a certain set of rules for everyone else - everyone has to abide by the same rules here.

"If they're willing to abide by the rules then 100 per cent they should get world ranking points, but the way everything is right now and the way their tour is set up, I just think it makes it very difficult for them to make that argument."

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