The 2025 season ends with a review of pivotal decisions and moments in professional golf’s evolving landscape.
While golf remains a sport of many constants, 2025 brought profound decisions, especially within the LIV Golf League. Moves by LIV Golf indicated a shift toward alignment with established tours. Changes also appeared in the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour.
LIV Golf’s Strategic and Leadership Transition
In January, a leadership change at LIV Golf was announced. American Scott O’Neil took over as CEO of the 2021-founded league from Greg Norman, who initially remained in an advisory role before stepping back in September. O’Neil, with decades of pro sports management experience, pledged to lead LIV Golf into its next phase, focusing on innovation and reach. He advocates a conciliatory approach toward other golf tours and looks to future collaborations with the Majors, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), and the PGA Tour.
In February, R&A and USGA introduced new qualifying avenues for LIV players for the Open Championship and US Open. By April, signs of rapprochement with OWGR emerged under O’Neil’s leadership. He and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman met at Augusta National, marking their first engagement since the rejected OWGR application by LIV Golf, which still hampers LIV players’ major participation.
Ripples in Tour Relations and Formats
LIV Golf’s decision to cease penalty payments to the DP World Tour from 2026 could reshape golf globally. DP World Tour rules, legally upheld, penalize members competing in unauthorized rival events. LIV players Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were able to play the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour without penalties this year while legal appeals continue. From 2026, players wishing to remain DP World Tour members and compete in events like the Ryder Cup will bear their own financial penalties, potentially weakening the European team in Ireland 2027.
A major structural change in LIV Golf is extending tournament play from three to four days starting in 2026. Moving from a 54-hole to 72-hole format aligns LIV tournaments with the Thursday-to-Sunday standard of the PGA and DP World Tours. Initially, LIV Golf embraced a three-day format as a break from golf tradition, reflected in the league’s name referencing the Roman numeral LIV (54).
Shifts in PGA and LPGA Leadership and Formats
The PGA Tour also announced key changes in 2025. Brian Rolapp, a top NFL executive, was appointed CEO, succeeding Commissioner Jay Monahan, who plans to step down by late 2026. Rolapp will lead PGA Tour Enterprises, founded in 2024 to generate new revenue streams. With expertise in media rights and digital strategy, Rolapp’s leadership signals