World No. 2 Rory McIlroy admits has been left puzzled by LIV Golf’s shocking change to their match format, stating it isn’t “what was holding them again”.
On Tuesday, LIV Golf introduced that from 2026, tournaments could be contested over the standard four-day, 72 gap format as an alternative of 54 holes over three days which had been the case for the breakaway golf league.
The transfer is designed to align with the opposite main excursions world wide to strengthen their case for LIV gamers to obtain Official World Golf Rating factors.
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The league submitted an software up to now couple of months to the OWGR board for his or her gamers to begin incomes factors on the LIV tour.
“Everybody needs to see one of the best gamers on the planet competing in opposition to one another, particularly within the majors, and for the great of the sport, we want a path ahead,“ LIV star Bryson DeChambeau stated.
“By transferring to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognised globally. It is a unbelievable evolution of the LIV Golf product.”
Stemming from his robust defence of the PGA Tour, McIlroy has been one of many Saudi-backed insurgent golf league’s staunchest critics.
When requested about LIV’s format change forward of his look within the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McIlroy admitted his confusion.
“I feel it’s a peculiar transfer as a result of I feel they may have gotten rating factors with three rounds,” McIlroy stated.
“I don’t suppose three rounds versus 4 rounds is what was holding them again.”
McIlroy continued on why the transfer didn’t make sense in his thoughts, believing it’s primarily a case of too little too late.
“I feel what’s onerous is you’ve received the LIV guys, and say probably they get World Rankings, however as a result of their energy of fields are going to be so weak as a result of lots of the fellows have fallen already within the rankings as a result of they haven’t had rating factors for therefore lengthy, I don’t know if the rating factors are actually going to learn them,” he stated.
“Will probably be attention-grabbing to see the way it performs out.”
McIlroy is striving for his first ever win within the HSBC Championship. He’ll tee it up on the Yas Hyperlinks Golf Membership at 4:23pm (AEDT) alongside Tyrell Hatton and Marco Penge.