The 2025 season is drawing to a close with key decisions and moments shaping professional golf worldwide.
While golf remains a sport of many constants, 2025 has seen significant developments, particularly within the LIV Golf League. Some LIV Golf decisions indicate a rapprochement with established tours, while changes also emerged on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.
LIV Golf Restructures Leadership and Strategy
In January, LIV Golf announced a leadership change as American Scott O’Neil took over as CEO of the league founded in 2021 by Greg Norman, who initially planned to stay as advisor but stepped back completely in September. With decades of professional sports management experience, O’Neil aims to lead LIV Golf into its next phase emphasizing innovation and reach. He also advocates a more conciliatory approach toward other golf tours and envisions future partnerships with the Majors, Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), and the PGA Tour.
In February, the R&A and USGA created new qualifying opportunities for LIV golfers to enter the Open Championship and US Open majors. In April, signs of LIV Golf edging closer to OWGR surfaced, highlighted by discussions between O’Neil and OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman at Augusta National Golf Club—the first such talks since LIV’s OWGR application was rejected, continuing to affect LIV players’ major participation.
Impact of Penalties and Format Change in LIV Golf
LIV Golf’s decision to stop penalty payments to the DP World Tour starting 2026 carries wide-reaching implications. DP World Tour rules and court rulings confirm sanctions for members entering rival events without approval. Though Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton competed penalty-free in 2025 events including the Ryder Cup pending appeal, from 2026, players wishing to remain DP World Tour members and compete in events like the Ryder Cup must bear penalties themselves, potentially weakening the European team for 2027 in Ireland.
The most transformative shift for LIV Golf is its 2026 switch from a 54-hole to a 72-hole tournament format, aligning its events with the usual Thursday-to-Sunday schedule of the PGA and DP World Tours. Since LIV’s inception, three-day tournaments were standard, reflecting the league’s desire to challenge golfing traditions—encapsulated in its name referencing Roman numerals for 54.
Changes in PGA and LPGA Tours and Emerging Leagues
The PGA Tour also announced changes during 2025, naming NFL executive Brian Rolapp as its new CEO to succeed Commissioner Jay Monahan, who plans to retire end-2026. The PGA Tour Enterprises, launched in 2024 to generate revenue, is headed by Rolapp, who brings expertise in media rights, marketing, and digital strategy, pivotal for the tour’s future.
The LPGA Tour saw Craig Kessler, formerly a Topgolf executive, appointed as new commissioner in May, replacing Mollie Marcoux Samaa. Kessler’s appointment sparked discussion about gender representation in leadership within women’s golf.
Meanwhile, the Tomorrow Golf League (TGL), co-founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley in 2022 and partnered with the PGA Tour, enters its second season late 2025, concluding in March 2026. Its indoor