In his letter to LIV Golf leadership two day ago, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson outlined two major concerns that influenced the OWGR’s decision to not award world-ranking points to the Saudi-backed league:
The first being player turnover, pathways to access and relegation.
The other the impact of the team competition.
“The board committee continues to be concerned about the implications of conducting individual and team competitions simultaneously,” Dawson wrote. “This concern was amplified by the decision that players from the same team can be grouped together and by the actions and comments attributed to Sebastian Munoz…”
The situation involving Munoz occurred during LIV’s Orlando tournament in early April. Munoz was one shot behind leader Brooks Koepka – and grouped with Koepka – when both players had 40-foot birdie putts on their final hole. Koepka putted first, leaving his try just over 4 feet away, according to The Associated Press report at the time. If Munoz made his attempt, he’d force a playoff, but if he three-putted for bogey, he would cost his team, Torque, the team title.
Munoz, per the AP, left his birdie try just inside of Koepka’s ball before making the par save, finishing second individually and sealing the lucrative team victory for Torque.
“It’s weird, because I knew we were one stroke ahead on the team, so I couldn’t go extra. I knew I couldn’t be too aggressive,” Munoz said afterward. “He got the individual, we got the team. I call it a tie.”
Munoz’s comments, however, clearly didn’t sit well with the OWGR.
Following the OWGR’s decision and specific call-out of Munoz, Munoz responded Wednesday via a LIV Golf release:
“I remember that putt. I was one back of Brooks. He putted first. He left it short. And I left it short as well. It was not an easy putt, and everything past the hole was kind of feeding off the green. I did try to make it, but I tried to make it with a good speed, and unfortunately it didn’t get there.”
Munoz added: “Brooks had a 5-footer. It would’ve been kind of dumb for me to rail one 9 feet past, kill my chances if he made a mistake. I would’ve hit the same putt no matter what.”