The 2025 season is ending, highlighting groundbreaking decisions and moments in professional golf.
Although golf is characterized by many constants, 2025 brought significant decisions, especially within the LIV Golf League. Several moves hinted at a rapprochement with established tours, alongside changes in the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour.
LIV Golf Restructures Personnel and Strategy
In January, Scott O’Neil took over as CEO of LIV Golf from Greg Norman, who initially planned to stay as an advisor but fully stepped back in September. O’Neil, an experienced sports executive, aims to lead LIV Golf into its next phase focusing on innovation and reach. He also pursues a more conciliatory approach toward other golf leagues, exploring future cooperation with the Majors, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), and the PGA Tour.
In February, the R&A and USGA created new qualification options for LIV players for the Open Championship and the US Open. In April, an apparent rapprochement with the OWGR emerged, highlighted by a meeting between O’Neil and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman at Augusta National Golf Club — the first since LIV’s OWGR application was rejected, which still impacts LIV players’ eligibility for Majors.
Also, LIV Golf announced ceasing penalty payments to the DP World Tour from the 2026 season. DP World Tour rules, legally upheld, penalize members competing in unauthorized events. While players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton participated in the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour without penalties this year pending appeals, members wishing to compete in the Ryder Cup post-2026 must assume financial penalties themselves. This could weaken the European team for the 2027 event in Ireland.
LIV Golf’s most profound change is expanding tournament formats from 54 to 72 holes starting in 2026, aligning with traditional PGA and DP World Tour formats of Thursday-to-Sunday play. Since its founding, LIV events were three-day tournaments, reflecting its break from golf traditions, with its name representing the Roman numeral LIV (54).
Changes Ahead for the PGA Tour
The PGA Tour also announced changes in 2025. Brian Rolapp, a top executive from the NFL, will take over as PGA Tour CEO, succeeding Commissioner Jay Monahan who plans to step down by late 2026. The Commissioner was the highest-ranking Policy Board member and face of the Tour. The Tour now establishes a CEO role and launched PGA Tour Enterprises in 2024 to generate new revenue streams, led by Rolapp, who brings extensive expertise in media rights, marketing, and digital strategy—key areas for the Tour