LIV Golf will ditch its 54-hole format next season and move to regular 72-hole tournaments.
It is a significant change for the controversial, Saudi-backed circuit, not least because LIV is 54 in Roman numerals and three-day events have been a pivotal part of the rebel tour’s DNA.
The move comes while LIV chiefs are again seeking world ranking points and was welcomed by star players such as Jon Rahm, who said that the change would provide a better test.
The Spaniard, who rocked the game when he signed for LIV in a mega-deal almost two years ago, had previously said he hoped switching to 72 holes would help unite a fractured game. “This is a win for the league and the players,” he said after the announcement that most events would now start on Thursday.
The Legion XIII team, led by Rahm, centre, celebrate winning the LIV Golf Championship in August but the teams will play tournaments over four days from next season
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“We are competitors to the core and we want every opportunity to compete at the highest level and to perfect our craft. Moving to 72 holes 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.”
LIV chiefs were quick to portray the change as an innovation, but it does remove a major point of difference from the traditional tours. The shotgun start and team competition will remain.
Scott O’Neil, who replaced Greg Norman as LIV’s CEO in January, said: “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.”
He then drew a parallel with the Premier League, NBA, NFL and MLB by saying all successful leagues evolve.
O’Neil had been under pressure from LIV’s top players to move away from the 54-hole format
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LIV has just finished its fourth season, which is more than many predicted it would reach when it was launched against a backdrop of acrimony in 2022, but the last accounts filed at UK Companies House showed losses for the business outside the USA in 2024 had spiralled to $468million.
The estimated outlay by the Saudi Public Investment Fund on the LIV project is now close to a staggering $5billion. While some events have been well attended this year and broadcast deals with Fox Sports and ITV have constituted progress, LIV has been a less disruptive presence over the past year and there has been no indication from the PGA Tour that it feels the need to sign a peace deal.
One of the major problems for the breakaway tour is that it is still not recognised by the Official World Golf Ranking, so players signing up are risking their participation in the majors. An application for points was withdrawn in 2024, but a new one was submitted in July.
The 54-hole format was not the primary reason for being denied rankings points, with the closed-shop format and long-term contracts considered more difficult issues to overcome, but LIV bosses will feel the coming change cannot harm their chances.
Last week Peter Dawson, the former OWGR chairman, told Global Golf Post that while players were clearly good enough to be ranked, the format made it hard for them to be judged equitably with other tours. He added: “I can’t see that LIV has been a success by any measure. Yes, it has given great wealth to a very few people, but in terms of engagement, its format of team golf isn’t resonating anywhere near enough with the fanbase.”
DeChambeau described LIV adopting a format which has been standard in major tournaments since 1898 as a “fantastic evolution”
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In April, Dawson was replaced by Trevor Immelman, whose previous assessment of LIV Golf when Presidents Cup captain included describing it as “a giant pain in my ass”.
LIV Golf players lined up to laud the move. Bryson DeChambeau said it was a “fantastic evolution” while Dustin Johnson said: “Playing 72 holes just feels a little more like the big tournaments we’ve all grown up playing. I’ve always liked the grind of four rounds. It gives the best players a chance to rise to the top.”
There are no plans to change the circuit’s name to LXXII.