The LIV Golf League season kicks off on February 4 with new players and rules. An overview of the teams and all key changes.
The LIV Golf season starts on February 4 with several changes and new faces. Alongside format adjustments, prize money and point systems have been updated.
More Holes, More Prize Money, and More Points
The LIV Golf League launches its 2026 season with an expanded competition concept. More rounds, a broader points system, and higher prize money bring several changes for this season. The field consists of 57 players, including 52 fixed team players and five wildcard players. Spread across 13 teams, each has four pros, with the wildcards competing only in individual rankings. A total of 14 events are held featuring both team and individual competitions.
New this season: All tournaments will be played over four days from Thursday to Sunday, consisting of 72 holes. The proven shotgun start from all 18 holes remains, as does the absence of a cut. Every player stays in the tournament until the final putt.
The winner of each event is the player with the lowest total score after 72 holes. At the same time, every single round by each player counts fully toward the team score. The team with the lowest overall scorecard wins the team title for the event.
New Points System: Every Point Counts in the Fight for Prize Money
From 2026, LIV Golf introduces a more comprehensive points system. A total of 1,000 individual points are awarded per event, with the winner receiving 200 points. Crucially, every placement scores points, replacing the previous all-or-nothing approach.
Also, in the team rankings, a paradigm shift occurs. Whereas previously only the top eight teams earned points, now all teams are rewarded. The winning team earns 30 points, the runner-up 15, and even the last-placed team receives two points. This keeps all teams competitive until the very end.
The financial scale also grows significantly: weekly team prize money doubles from five to ten million dollars. From 2026, every team receives prize money based on their placement, not just the top teams. Additionally, a new individual prize money model distributes €2.3 million weekly among the top individual players from the podium teams. Altogether, €470 million in prize money is up for grabs this season.
After 13 regular events, the individual champion is crowned based on points accumulated. But it is about more than a title as each placement affects prize money, contract status, and the future in the league through a three-tier categorization.
The Lock Zone (places 1-34) guarantees a contract offer for the following season.
The Open Zone (places 35-46) allows continued league participation without guaranteed contract.
Those in the Drop Zone (places 47-57) must fight for their league spot through relegation.
Team Championship: The Grand Finale of the LIV Golf Tour
The season concludes with the 14th event, the Team Championship,