The 2025 season is ending, highlighting key decisions and moments shaping professional golf’s future.
While golf is often defined by tradition, 2025 saw significant decisions, particularly within the LIV Golf League. These moves signal a rapprochement with established tours, alongside shifts in the PGA and LPGA Tours.
LIV Golf’s Strategic and Personnel Shifts
In January, Scott O’Neil succeeded Greg Norman as CEO of LIV Golf. O’Neil aims to lead LIV Golf into its next phase with innovation and expanded reach, promoting cooperation with Majors, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), and the PGA Tour.
New qualification routes for LIV players to the Open Championship and US Open were established by R&A and USGA in February. An initial meeting between O’Neil and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman at Augusta National signaled early steps towards OWGR integration, despite ongoing challenges for LIV players in Majors participation.
LIV’s decision to cease penalties against DP World Tour members competing in LIV events from 2026 onward will impact tour dynamics. Current exceptions for top players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton remain pending appeal, but financial responsibilities for sanctions from 2026 may affect team compositions, such as Europe’s Ryder Cup squad in 2027.
Most notably, LIV Golf will shift from a three-day, 54-hole tournament format to a traditional four-day, 72-hole schedule in 2026, aligning with PGA and DP World Tour standards—a significant departure from its original Roman numeral ‘LIV’ concept.
Transformations in PGA and LPGA Tours
Brian Rolapp, an experienced NFL executive, will become PGA Tour CEO, succeeding Commissioner Jay Monahan’s 2026 retirement. Rolapp’s expertise in media rights and digital strategy is expected to drive future revenue streams through PGA Tour Enterprises, established in 2024.
In the LPGA Tour, Craig Kessler, formerly a Topgolf executive and board member, replaced Mollie Marcoux Samaa as Commissioner in May. His appointment has sparked discussions regarding gender representation in leadership within women’s golf.
The Emerging Tomorrow Golf League and Future Directions
Founded in 2022 by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley in partnership with the PGA Tour, the Tomorrow Golf League (TGL) continues to innovate indoor golf. The second season launched at the end of 2025, concluding in March 2026, featuring schedule expansions to Friday afternoons and Sundays for greater fan engagement.