After greater than three years of spruiking its 54-hole format, LIV Golf has ditched its three-round tournaments in an enormous change for the insurgent tour because it ramps up its push to be awarded world rankings factors.
LIV — which is 54 in Roman numerals — confirmed on Wednesday all occasions in 2026 can be performed over 72 holes.
The choice marks a seismic change for the Saudi-backed circuit which used three-day occasions as a significant drawcard when poaching gamers from the PGA Tour over its first 4 seasons.
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The posh of taking part in for mega prize pots in a condensed format was sufficient to see the likes of Dustin Johnson bounce ship, sending shockwaves by way of the game.
However on Wednesday, Johnson was amongst LIV’s high-profile gamers welcoming the large shift again in direction of regulation.
“I feel it’s an excellent transfer for the League and I’m excited for it,” Johnson, the previous US Open and Masters champion, stated. “Enjoying 72 holes simply feels somewhat extra like the massive tournaments we’ve all grown up taking part in.
“I’ve at all times preferred the grind of 4 rounds – it provides the most effective gamers an opportunity to rise to the highest.”
”LIV Golf has been an excellent expertise from the beginning, and I feel this makes it even higher for the followers and for us on the market competing.”
In the meantime, Bryson DeChambeau known as it a “win” for the breakaway tour, which has seen its gamers undergo main rankings slides, and in flip impression their capability to qualify for majors.
“Everybody needs to see the most effective gamers on the earth competing in opposition to one another, particularly within the majors, and for the great of the sport, we’d like a path ahead,“ DeChambeau stated.
“By transferring to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognised globally. This can be a improbable evolution of the LIV Golf product, exhibiting how our league listens and adapts to create the very best expertise.”
After information of the change was confirmed, Australia’s Cameron Smith stated he hoped it might assist him flip his fortunes round following a winless 12 months.
“For us, taking part in an additional day isn’t a nasty factor, it’s what we’ve grown up doing,” he stated.
“For me personally I really feel like I’ve performed my greatest golf over 72 holes, so hopefully that’s somewhat little bit of a booster for me. It provides me an additional day to settle in and perhaps not chase some stuff a lot.”
Spanish star Jon Rahm, who received the LIV particular person title in 2025, stated the 4 rounds would offer a higher take a look at for gamers.
“This can be a win for the league, and the gamers,” Rahm stated.
“LIV Golf is a participant’s league. We’re rivals to the core and we would like each alternative to compete on the highest stage and to good our craft.
“Transferring to 72 holes is the logical subsequent step that strengthens the competitors, exams us extra totally, and if the rising galleries from final season are any indication, delivers extra of what the followers need.”
Below new boss Scott O’Neil, who succeeded Greg Norman, LIV has pushed extra aggressively to be recognised by the OWGR — an vital step in retaining its star gamers happy long run.
This week, adjustments concerned the opening of extra pathways for gamers onto the tour, which should stay an open store to budding gamers to fulfill explicit OWGR standards.
However the largest sticking level had been the dearth of 72-hole tournaments, which was LIV Golf’s largest level of distinction, however was frowned upon by the OWGR.
With LIV Golf keen to die on its 54-hole hill underneath Norman, gamers plummeted down the world rankings. It meant that gamers largely needed to depend on historic exemptions to qualify for majors, whereas those that weren’t former champions stood little to no probability of competing.
For instance, Smith slipped outdoors the world’s prime 300 on the again of his winless 12 months, and is now getting into the ultimate phases of a few of his main exemptions on the again of his 2022 British Open triumph.
As issues stand, he’ll solely be exempt on the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship for 2 extra years, although his Open Championship exemption lasts till he’s 60.
In the meantime, Marc Leishman, who hasn’t received a significant, needed to scrap by way of 36-hole qualifying simply to make final 12 months’s US Open, which was his first main look since becoming a member of LIV Golf.
Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert is one other Australian who has needed to grind to easily seem in a significant since becoming a member of LIV Golf. This 12 months, he needed to win by way of qualifying to look on the Open Championship.
Nonetheless, O’Neil stated what’s LIV Golf’s largest shake-up was a transfer made in the most effective pursuits of the game, relatively than simply an try for world rankings recognition.
“As we enter our fourth season as a League, the transfer to 72 holes marks a pivotal new chapter for LIV Golf that strengthens our League, challenges our elite discipline of gamers, and delivers extra of the world-class golf, vitality, innovation and entry that our international viewers needs.
“Probably the most profitable leagues around the globe – IPL, EPL, NBA, MLB, NFL – proceed to innovate and evolve their product, and as an rising league, we are not any totally different. LIV Golf will at all times have a watch in direction of progress that acts in the most effective curiosity of LIV Golf and in the most effective curiosity of the game.”
‘LXXII GOLF’
The enlargement has been extensively seen as the suitable transfer within the rapid aftermath of the announcement, given it’s a essential step in direction of higher legitimacy for the tour.
Even so, it’s a resolution that has confounded contemplating any merger with the PGA Tour nonetheless has not occurred, even with the 2 excursions changing into extra materially comparable than ever.
Golf insider Dan Rapaport stated the choice to broaden to 72-holes solely made the remaining division extra complicated.
“LIV Golf goes to 72 holes, the PGA TOUR went to a bunch of limited-field occasions, can we simply get this factor again collectively, like what are we even doing at this level?” he wrote.
This Week in Golf host Chris McKee stated that the transfer really serves to escalate tensions given, if LIV Golf wins OWGR factors, it opens the door to extra participant motion.
“And identical to that, the golf battle is heating up as soon as once more,” he stated.
In the meantime, different golf journalists and consultants reacted with sarcasm to the announcement.
“When you can’t beat ‘em…” wrote Golf Digest’s Alex Myers, suggesting that LIV Golf will now be a part of them (the PGA Tour).
“Golf, however make it the PGA Tour,” Golf Digest colleague Christopher Powers added.
The No Laying Up podcast merely identified that LIV Golf is now ‘LXXII Golf’.