{"id":274684,"date":"2025-11-10T04:30:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T04:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/274684\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T04:30:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T04:30:23","slug":"whats-behind-livs-major-change-does-it-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/274684\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s behind LIV’s major change? Does it help?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Check in\u00a0every week<\/a>\u00a0for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at\u00a0@golf_com<\/a>. This week, we discuss the sudden, significant change to LIV Golf and what it means for the league\u2019s future. <\/p>\n

LIV Golf announced its 2026 tournaments will be played as 72-hole competitions<\/a>, a major change for a league that not only had previously been 54 holes but used that unique trait as a pivotal part of its identity. While the press release didn\u2019t mention this move as a way to improve LIV\u2019s chances of receiving World Ranking points\u2026 we know better. Are you surprised by the sudden shift? And more importantly, will it ultimately work?<\/p>\n

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak<\/a>): Definitely a little surprised! Only because of all the \u201954\u2019 branding. LIV was quietly launched by an agency originally called Performance 54! But for new management, who didn\u2019t create these structures, it probably felt fruitless to continue banging the OWGR drum without trying to make as many changes as possible to actually be granted those points. Will it ultimately work? What does \u201cwork\u201d even mean? Garner more audience on FS1 in early June? No. The amount of holes wasn\u2019t keeping golf fans from watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia<\/a>): Yes, the announcement was surprising, though, as Sean noted above, the surprise really was just for LIV\u2019s previous promotion of the number 54 \u2014 which led to folks scrambling to figure out what 72 was in Roman numerals. But I think the move works, as long as world ranking points come LIV\u2019s way. I\u2019ll be also curious as to what an extra day of play looks like for LIV in terms of potential revenue (or loss of it) \u2014 and what an extra day of play looks like for LIV in terms of player satisfaction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier<\/a>): I\u2019ll point out that 54 also has been cited by LIV as the \u201cperfect score\u201d in golf \u2014\u00a0birdieing every hole on a par-72 course. (Ignoring eagles, par-71s, etc., but whatever.) I think 72 is a nice number of holes for stroke-play tournament golf. But 54 holes was also a big part of what made LIV a \u201cdisruptor.\u201d Now that it\u2019s just another league staging 72-hole stroke-play golf tournaments, it just feels in direct competition with the DP World Tour. Maybe that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy was asked about the news while playing in this week\u2019s tournament in Abu Dhabi, although he said he didn\u2019t think playing 54 holes versus 72 was holding LIV back from receiving World Ranking points. What say you? Does LIV still have larger hurdles to leap or was this the main one?<\/p>\n


\n \"Rory <\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Peculiar move:\u2019 Rory McIlroy left with more questions than answers by LIV Golf\u2019s change<\/a><\/p>\n

By:<\/p>\n


\n Josh Schrock <\/a><\/p>\n

Zak: I think if there are three or four criteria for LIV earning points, the 54 vs. 72 element was one of them. I think the concurrent team competition is an odd sticking point, when the OWGR is all about individual\u2019s performance. But the biggest thing is just the mostly closed-circuit nature of the tour. I know inside LIV HQ they\u2019re expecting to be granted acceptance by the OWGR by the end of 2025, but they\u2019ve also been saying that for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Piastowski: I think two other moves LIV made this week should also be noted here. LIV\u2019s Q-school will now award two spots into LIV play for 2026, and the top two finishers in the International Series will also now receive playing privileges for next year. Both had previously handed out one spot, so this presumably helps with the \u2018closed-shop\u2019 thought that has held LIV back in the world rankings fight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dethier: Yep \u2014\u00a0I think Nick P\u2019s cited moves were the bigger ones here from an OWGR perspective than the 54-hole thing. LIV\u2019s closed shop is cracking open its doors. I\u2019d expect them to get OWGR points relatively soon. I don\u2019t quite understand the timeline. But I do think it was a massive miss for LIV to withdraw its application originally; if it wants to play in the same sandbox as the other tours it could have cooperated earlier.<\/p>\n

LIV\u2019s Tyrrell Hatton said only a few players<\/a> were in favor of the change when it was put in a questionnaire a year ago. If you\u2019re a LIV member, are you annoyed or excited about the tweak?<\/p>\n

Zak: If I\u2019m a LIV golfer and I now have an extra work day each tournament, I\u2019m annoyed! If I\u2019m a really good LIV golfer, 31 years old and have dominated the circuit since I arrived \u2014 (cough, cough Jon Rahm) \u2014 I would be excited about getting an extra 18 holes to remind the average players around me who is boss.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Piastowski: I\u2019ll add this. You\u2019d think that 72 holes should get LIV players in a better mindset for major championships. So whether you\u2019re annoyed that you\u2019re working an extra day or not, the thought that you could be better prepared for the biggest events of the year should soothe any sore muscles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dethier: This really feels like a big win for Rahm, who shredded the 54-hole format before he ultimately signed up for LIV. Because he finished inside the top 11 every tournament this year but didn\u2019t win any of \u2018em, with a fourth round he definitely would have picked up a couple. Anyway, I think it\u2019s nice for major prep and it\u2019s nice for LIV golfers who are sick of hearing 54-hole jokes. But it\u2019s a bummer for guys who were enjoying the shorter tournament weeks \u2014\u00a0especially given their international travel schedule.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n

Also this week, we saw Aaron Rai outlast some Ryder Cup stars, the LPGA strike a deal with Saudi Arabia to co-sanction a PIF Global Series event, a bizarre finish in Japan and some intriguing storylines play out in Mexico (where Ben Griffin eventually won<\/a>). What\u2019s your biggest takeaway from the week in golf that doesn\u2019t involve a golf league changing to 72-hole tournaments?<\/p>\n

Zak: My biggest takeaway is that this feels like the weirdest possible year the LPGA could have had. The weather-shortened event in Arkansas. Nelly Korda never winning. Almost zero multi-time winners. Now this shortened event in Japan in the middle of the night in America, on the heels of the tour taking Saudi money. The up and down nature of it doesn\u2019t make me feel all rosey about the top tour in the women\u2019s game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Piastowski: That golf truly never has an offseason. That never stops amazing me. News, news, news. Good for those of us in the news reporting business, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dethier: Ben Griffin is still better than you think he is. He shot nine under par on Sunday to win in Mexico. He\u2019s now finished top-12 in his last six PGA Tour events, including the win \u2014 which is also his third in 2025, if you include the two-man Zurich Classic. Sure, he\u2019s a late bloomer. But there\u2019s every indication he\u2019s here to stay.<\/p>\n

GOLF recently released its latest list of the Top 100 Teachers in America. What\u2019s the best tip you\u2019ve ever received from a Top 100?<\/p>\n

Zak: This one, from my pal Chris Como, hit home for my recent tennis obsession:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n

Piastowski: No teacher can save my game. Kidding, kidding. The Top 100 are miracle workers. I have two tips. I\u2019ve always liked this one from Butch Harmon: To make the correct hip movement, it\u2019s \u201cright pocket back, right pocket through.\u201d The other one is something I picked up just the other day (and I\u2019ll be sharing more about it in a soon-to-come GOLF.com article). The tip comes from Top 100 Teacher to Watch Kelan McDonagh. He worked with me to develop a weaker right-hand grip, and the check to see that it was in proper position was to take my right three fingers off the club and look to see if they were pointing to the ground at a 45-degree angle. McDonagh said he picked that up from Mike Adams, a Top 100 legend, and that he\u2019s been sharing that with students, as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dethier: This summer a top 100 suggested that there is way too much wasted motion in my golf swing. \u201cYou need to throw a whole lot of s\u2014 off your ship,\u201d was the quote. In other words: Do less.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Check in\u00a0every week\u00a0for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-274684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}