\t\t\t\tAn important LIV Golf format change will shape the narrative of the league for the 2026 season\u2026<\/p>\n
Jon Rahm found himself in an unusual position last August in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard had just lost in a playoff to Colombian Sebastian Munoz, ending a winless season at LIV Golf. But there he was, picking up the league\u2019s individual title for a second consecutive year, banking the $18million bonus check<\/a> rewarded to the season-long champion at Chatham Hills.<\/p>\n Rahm\u2019s 2025 season was founded on consistency \u2013 he finished inside the top-10 in all but one LIV event \u2013 but most were in agreement that Joaquin Niemann was clearly the league\u2019s standout player. <\/p>\n Niemann won tournaments in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia and in the UK \u2013 but five victories from 13 tournaments was not enough to oust Rahm for the individual prize. <\/p>\n That\u2019s because points were only offered to LIV\u2019s top 24 finishers and Niemann finished outside that cutoff in Riyadh and in Miami. With 40 points awarded to tournament winners \u2013 only 33% more than the runner-up\u2019s 30 \u2013 consistency weighed heavier than glory in 2025. <\/p>\n In an interview with TG before the 2026 season began, Rahm reflected on the strange scenario, for which LIV have now taken important steps to avoid happening again.<\/p>\n \u201cListen, when somebody wins five times, they deserve to win it all,\u201d Rahm admitted.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job is to do the best I can and try to win. Had I won one of those last two events, the validation for me would have been there, just getting one win. But nowadays we\u2019re in a sport where winning is what counts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe closest I can get is maybe Formula One. Is it possible where somebody finishes top three every single week and somebody wins five races but finishes off the points enough? Maybe there\u2019s a combination where someone can win. I guess on that point, you\u2019re a world champion, nobody cares if you win a race or not, right? So do I feel proud of winning it? Yeah, I\u2019m being consistent. <\/p>\n \u201cBut obviously in the nature of golf, I wish I had that individual win. And when Joaquin has won, again, 40% of the events, you think you deserve to win.\u201d<\/p>\n Niemann was magnanimous despite perhaps having the right to feel hard done by after his dominant year was undone in the season-long race by two minor blips. <\/p>\n \u201cWe all know how good Jon is, and I think I learned a lot from him this last year,\u201d the Chilean told TG. \u201cHe was a pretty consistent player. Obviously in golf, you\u2019re used to see the person winning having a bigger advantage, and maybe extra points or extra money. In this case, the points system didn\u2019t really give the winner of a tournament a bigger credit. <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the best system. We are four years in, and there\u2019s things that are going to be adjusted. So not having points for the whole field and only being top 24, I think it was different as well.\u201d<\/p>\n