LIV Golf adopts 72-hole format for all events
LIV Golf is making a significant change to its format, moving from 54-hole events to traditional 72-hole tournaments for the 2026 season, the tour announced Tuesday.
The three-day, 54-hole setup had been used since the league started play in 2022, with the name LIV representing the Roman numeral for the number 54. Those events traditionally ran Friday to Sunday, while next season will see tournaments span four days and start on Thursdays.
The change sees LIV move in line with the format used by the PGA TOUR and the majors and should catch the attention of the OWGR board as the league continues its quest to gain world ranking points.
"This is a win for the league and the players," two-time reigning LIV Golf individual champion Jon Rahm said. "LIV Golf is a player's league. 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."
Rahm has been a supporter of LIV moving to 72 holes since joining the league: "I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I definitely wouldn't mind going back to 72 holes," he told BBC Sport's Iain Carter in April 2024.
LIV will still have a team competition concurrent with the individual leaderboard.
"Everyone wants to see the best players in the world competing against each other, especially in the majors, and for the good of the game, we need a path forward," Bryson DeChambeau said. "By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally."
The first tournament with the new format will be the season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, beginning Feb. 4.