ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Immelman said Friday he is in constant contact with the CEO of LIV Golf in his role as chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking as the board tries to work through issues that include how the Saudi-funded circuit populates its 54-man league.
LIV Golf has not received world ranking points since it launched in June 2022, and only six of its players are among the top 100 in the world from points earned in majors or events on the Asian Tour or European tour.
LIV's first application to be part of the OWGR system was rejected in October 2023. It filed a new application last summer under Scott O'Neil, the CEO hired to replace Greg Norman.
Immelman, the former Masters champion and now a CBS golf analyst, took over as OWGR champion in April. He said he speaks regularly with O'Neil and even texted with him during his pro-am Friday at the PNC Championship.
“We've been all working hard together, trying to get answers, trying to figure out what they want to do,” Immelman said. "They're trying to figure out how their league is going to be evolving. They've decided to go to 72 holes. They're going to be growing their field a little bit, it appears, from what I've been told, and could possibly want to grow even further.
“It's a very collaborative process right now between Scott and I and our board to figure it out.”
LIV Golf's next season starts Feb. 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When asked if a decision could be reached before then, Immelman replied, “I think there's a chance.”
LIV started with 54-hole events with no cuts and decided to go to 72 holes for the 2026 season. Immelman said how many holes are played has never been a big issue.
Instead, he pointed toward how the 24 tours that are part of the OWGR operate, leaning into the concept of meritocracy.
LIV Golf finally had some notable turnover this year, with 49-year-old Henrik Stenson among six players who finished out of the top 48 and was relegated out of the league.
Luis Masaveu, a 23-year-old from Spain, was signed to the Fireballs team this year. He played eight LIV events, was replaced by former U.S. Amateur champion Josele Ballester, played seven Challenge Tour events in Europe without a top 10, and then was re-signed to LIV for 2026.
“When you look at the OWGR and how it's made up of eligible tours around the world ... it's about meritocracy," Immelman said. "That's one of the beauties of our sport is earning your way onto a tour, fighting to keep your job on that tour.
“And so it's really been along those lines of working with them on understandings their league from that standpoint — meritocracy, promotion and relegation and just really at the end of the day, the self-selection aspect of how their league is made up.”
Immelman does not have a vote as chairman. He said the seven-member board decides on tours joining the OWGR. Unlike the last vote, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and European tour CEO Guy Kinnings have a vote. They were recused from the previous OWGR discussion involving LIV, partly because there was ongoing litigation during those meetings.
The other board members represent Augusta National, The R&A, the USGA, PGA of America and a member representing the other tours.
LIV Golf lured away several top players with massive signing bonuses when it launched in 2022 and it has been viewed as a closed shop. Only one player made it into the league from a promotions event for this season. For 2026, two players were taken from the Asian Tour International Series and two more will get spots through LIV's version of Q-school next month.
It also has signed Victor Perez of France and Laurie Canter of England for next season.
“If a particular league wants to get points, we have longstanding regulations that every other eligible tour has abided by in order to be part of the OWGR,” Immelman said. “Meritocracy is a big aspect of that, how you get promoted and relegated on and off of the tour. Really, that's been a large part of what I've been talking to Scott about.”
World ranking points are seen as vital to the credibility of LIV Golf, and to help its members get into the majors, all of which rely on the OWGR as part of their criteria. LIV players only get ranking points at the majors and when they play other circuits outside the PGA Tour, which has banned them.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - International team captain Trevor Immelman waves toward the gallery before a foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Sept. 22, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Federal investigators are trying to figure out why a business jet carrying retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and six others tried to return to a North Carolina airport just after takeoff but plowed into light poles and trees short of the runway, killing everyone on board.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground Thursday after first striking light towers and then a tree line about a third of a mile (550 meters) from the airport's runway. They also don’t know who the was the lead pilot. Biffle was one of three people on board with a pilot’s license.
The jet had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but crashed less than 10 minutes later while trying to return and land, authorities said.
Flight records indicate the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were at the airport, attempting to determine the cause of the crash and why the plane had returned to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.
Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder, which could provide important clues about what happened. They were not aware of any emergency calls from the jet, NTSB member Michael Graham said at a Friday news conference.
There were three pilots on board. Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly helicopters, and single- and multi-engine planes. Also on board was pilot Dennis Dutton, Dutton's son, Jack — who had a private pilot’s license for single-engine planes — and Biffle's friend Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle's wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, were also killed in the crash, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.
Cristina Biffle's mother told People magazine that her daughter sent her a text message saying, “We’re in trouble," before she didn't hear from her again.
Federal investigators on Friday didn't have answers yet about the crew.
Dennis Dutton was licensed and rated to fly this model of plane, but even then, he was supposed to fly with a co-pilot. Even though Biffle was rated to fly a multi-engine plane, he wasn’t listed as qualified to fly this particular jet or be a second officer. Dutton’s son, Jack, also had a pilot’s license but was only rated for single-engine planes.
“There is nobody else that has a second-in-command type rating in the airplane. So there’s a question on the crew,” aviation safety expert John Cox said.
The plane’s speed and altitude fluctuated significantly during the brief flight, and its path was consistent with a flight crew that experienced an issue and needed to return quickly, said former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti.
At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet (550 meters) up to 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) before descending again. Just before the crash, it was only a couple of hundred feet off the ground.
“One thing is certain: They were low. They were too low to make a safe landing on that runway,” Guzzetti said.
It’s not clear why the pilots didn’t make an emergency call. It’s possible they were too busy trying to control the plane and dealing with the problem. But Cox said it’s also possible that the problem they encountered wasn’t considered an emergency. And the pilots may not have made it a priority to make a radio call with no tower at the airport.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
A memorial with flowers sprouted up Friday by Biffle's marble star in his hometown of Mooresville, honoring him as a member of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
Steve Miller dropped by to pay his respects. He met Biffle at a huge party after he was inducted in October. He told Biffle he hoped the racecar driver could help knock an item off his bucket list — taking a flight in a helicopter.
“Come knock on my door, I’ll take you up," Miller recalled Biffle telling him. "Never happened.”
Cessna Citations like the one that crashed Thursday are known as reliable, easy-to-fly jets. While the plane is in flight, one pilot is at the controls while the other pilot is the monitoring pilot, Cox said.
Roughly 1,000 of these 550 series jets have been made, and they have a very good safety record. “What accidents have occurred in this type were mostly due to very poor pilot decisions,” Guzzetti said.
The Statesville airport will remain closed at least through Saturday as the NTSB performs its investigation, officials said.
Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this story.
Nicole O'Healy, left, leaves flowers at the NC Auto Racing Walk of Fame for Greg Biffle, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Mooresville, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
A supporter brings flowers to lay at the tribute at the NC Auto Racing Walk of Fame for Greg Biffle, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Mooresville, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham, right, speaks at a media briefing on the fatal plane crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, while NTSB investigator Dan Baker listens on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Statesville, N.C. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)
National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham speaks at a media briefing Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Statesville, N.C., on the fatal plane crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)
Flowers and cards are displayed at the NC Auto Racing Walk of Fame for Greg Biffle, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Mooresville, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Supporters gather at the tribute next to the NC Auto Racing Walk of Fame for Greg Biffle, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Mooresville, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Flowers are displayed at the NC Auto Racing Walk of Fame for Greg Biffle, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Mooresville, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
FILE - Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
FILE - Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
FILE - Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)
