After the 2024 season, LIV sent a questionnaire to its players with a thought-provoking question.
Should the tour’s events play 72 holes, instead of 54?
Not everyone was on board.
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“I think of everyone who filled it out, I think there was only three guys, initially, who had said [yes] about moving there [to 72 holes],” Tyrrell Hatton ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
A year later, however, LIV defied the survey and brought that idea to fruition.
Starting in 2026, the Saudi-backed circuit, named after the number 54 in Roman numerals, will extend its tournaments an extra 18 holes (and to a fourth day). And despite the reluctance at first, the news seems to be well received—although some questions linger.
“By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally,” Bryson DeChambeau said in a statement. “This is a fantastic evolution of the LIV Golf product, showing how our league listens and adapts to create the best possible experience.”
What’s the biggest culprit for this shift? Perhaps it’s LIV’s pursuit of achieving Official World Golf Ranking points.
From 54 to 72. In 2026, we’re expanding to a 4-round format, advancing our global growth and bringing more action for fans worldwide. #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/Z15uc3BaxV
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) November 4, 2025
The breakaway circuit applied for world ranking points after its inception in 2022; however, the OWGR board denied LIV’s request in 2023, mostly because events were only 54 holes, there wasn’t a proper relegation and promotion system and field sizes were limited to 54 players. But having added a relegation process for 2024, the circuit has since reapplied for OWGR recognition, which is still being reviewed under the new OWGR president, Trevor Immelman, a former Masters champion and current CBS golf analyst.
The OWGR is a key pathway for players to earn entries into major championships, and because of that, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil, who assumed the position at the beginning of this year, has shown a willingness to make adjustments.
“The most successful leagues around the world—IPL, EPL, NBA, MLB, NFL—continue to innovate and evolve their product, and as an emerging league, we are no different,” O’Neil said in a statement. “LIV Golf will always have an eye towards progress that acts in the best interest of LIV Golf and in the best interest of the sport.”
Some of LIV’s players, though, insist this move isn’t entirely because of its desire to be recognized by the OWGR.
“I think [OWGR points] is one of the angles behind it. I think there were a few different things,” Lee Westwood told the talkSport Breakfast Show. “Some of the guys focused their whole season around the major championships. And playing 54 holes was putting them at a bit of a disadvantage. I think they wanted to play 72 holes—that represented more the major championship format. But world rankings is one of the things on LIV’s mind. I don’t know whether it’s in the criteria or not because there’s 54-hole tournaments that got world ranking points before. But I think the boxes that you need to tick with the world rankings, 72 holes probably helps that.”
Still, Rory McIlroy, arguably LIV’s staunchest detractor, isn’t sure how many world ranking points would be at stake in LIV events if the tour were to be granted that designation.
“I think it’s a peculiar move because I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds,” McIlroy said at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. “I don’t think three rounds versus four rounds is what was holding them back. It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we’ve all done. It brings them back into not really being a disruptor and sort of falling more in line with what everyone else does.”
McIlroy added: “I think what’s hard is you’ve got the LIV guys, and say potentially they get world rankings, but because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long.”
There’s some truth to that statement, but at the same time, Joaquín Niemann likely wouldn’t be No. 122 in the world after five LIV victories in 2025. And Jon Rahm would be higher than 71st after top 10s in all but one LIV tournament this season. Plus, there’s an opportunity for additional points with the Strokes Gained World Rating, which factors someone’s score relative to the field.
Of course, there’s a financial aspect to playing 72 holes, too.
LIV’s on-site attendance has been strong, and adding an extra 18 holes to competition could generate more revenue from fans, though there’s a cost to operating the tournaments an extra day. On the contrary, LIV television ratings in the U.S. have been lackluster, to say the least, especially in the earlier rounds that are on FS1 or FS2, rather than Fox. A fourth day of production will also be costly, but the tour can negotiate a higher media rights fee.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund, LIV’s bankroller, has a virtually unlimited supply of funds. Even so, they’d certainly like to see some sort of return on their investment. The league’s model hasn’t been profitable, as the tour’s international arm has lost over $1 billion in its first three seasons.
But if moving to 72 holes starts to buck that trend, along with inching towards looking like a more traditional golf circuit that receives world ranking points, maybe that helps facilitate a deal with the PGA Tour to unify with the framework agreement between the two tours from 2023 currently at a stalemate.
“The two of us [PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp] have talked a few times,” O’Neil said this week at Sportico’s Invest in Sports Conference. “… Generally, we have a common view on what could be or should be the landscape of golf over the next several years. There’s an opportunity for the whole golf world to come together and grow this pie.”
The 72-hole bombshell by LIV is more nuanced than it seems, and it remains to be seen what this means for LIV—and pro golf’s future.
One thing’s probably a safe bet, though: Don’t expect the tour to change its name to LXXII Golf.
