Rankings 'mockery' rankles Westwood as LIV's elite pay price

LEE WESTWOOD has thrown his weight behind LIV Golf's latest bid to gain world ranking points for its events, claiming the Majors risk paying the price for the current freeze-out.

- By Neil Squires

LIV reapplied for inclusion a fortnight ago on the back of an alarming slide down the rankings for its players.

With few opportunities to pick up points, top names have plummeted with even relatively recent Major champions such as Cameron Smith (No.206), Brooks Koepka (No.289) and Dustin Johnson (No.571) disappearing off a cliff.

Westwood, a former world No.1, was ranked No.4,689 before last week's Open Championship, and he believes his case shows how misrepresentative the system has become.