Jon Rahm secured both the individual and team titles at LIV Golf in 2025.
LIV Golf events are set to expand to 72 holes beginning in 2026, aligning the circuit with the established standards of professional golf tours.
The Saudi-backed league, inaugurated in 2022, has been characterized by its 54-hole tournaments, even adopting the Roman numeral for 54 – LIV – in its name.
The format’s deviation from the norm has been a factor in the denial of official ranking points for LIV participants, with the majority of its events taking place from Friday to Sunday.
Moving forward, tournaments will commence on Thursdays, with the exception of LIV Golf Riyadh in February, which will begin on a Wednesday.
Jon Rahm, a two-time major champion who claimed his second consecutive LIV title in August, hailed the change as “a win for the league, and the players”.
“LIV Golf is a player’s league,” stated the former world number one. “We are competitors to the core and we want every opportunity to compete at the highest level and to perfect our craft.
“Adopting a 72-hole format is the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and, if the growing galleries from last season are any indication, delivers more of what the fans want.”
Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are crucial for securing entry into golf’s four major championships.
LIV Golf players have seen their rankings decline, with Rahm now positioned at 71st in the world, while Dustin Johnson, another former world number one, has fallen to 604th.
“Playing 72 holes just feels a little more like the big tournaments we’ve all grown up playing,” Johnson noted. “I’ve always liked the grind of four rounds.”
Bryson DeChambeau, also a member of the LIV tour, commented: “Everyone wants to see the best players in the world competing against each other, especially in the majors, and for the good of the game, we need a path forward.”
In each regular season event, the individual competition will be determined over 72 holes of stroke play.
The team competition will continue concurrently, with each team’s cumulative individual stroke play scores determining the team result.
“The move to 72 holes marks a pivotal new chapter for LIV Golf that strengthens our league, challenges our elite field of players, and delivers more of the world-class golf, energy, innovation and access that our global audience wants,” said LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil.
“The most successful leagues around the world – IPL, EPL, NBA, MLB, NFL – continue to innovate and evolve their product, and as an emerging league, we are no different.”
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This represents a major shift for LIV and the most significant development since Scott O’Neil succeeded Greg Norman as the breakaway tour’s chief executive last year.
It signifies a voluntary departure from one of the fundamental distinctions between LIV and the established professional tours.
The addition of an extra round is clearly welcomed by their players, several of whom have advocated for this change. In his inaugural LIV season, Jon Rahm expressed to BBC Sport his desire to see the format extended from three to four rounds.
At the time, Rahm suggested that such an alteration could contribute to greater unity within the sport. However, the likelihood of a reconciliation between the Saudi-funded circuit and the PGA Tour remains uncertain.
The move could bolster LIV’s pursuit of recognition by the official golf rankings, although the OWGR is still likely to have reservations regarding the league’s team format potentially compromising individual performances.
This was a key point of contention when LIV’s initial application for recognition was rejected. LIV also announced this week an expanded pathway for players to qualify for their tour, which is another move that could help them gain world ranking recognition.
It’s also worth noting that many, though not all, of LIV’s biggest stars have struggled in majors. Returning to a regular diet of 72-hole competition might result in them becoming better prepared for the big four tournaments that remain the most important in the game.
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