The sixth hole at Riyadh Golf Club took center stage as the designated Power Play hole during LIV Golf League‘s season-opening event in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.
The Power Play format allows teams to select one hole per round where their score counts double toward the team competition, adding a strategic layer to LIV Golf’s unique tournament structure. Teams must decide whether to use their Power Play on a hole they expect to score well on, or save it for a potential birdie opportunity later in the round.
Expanded Format for Season Opener
This year’s Riyadh event marked several firsts for the league, including an expanded field of 57 players and a four-round format instead of the typical 54-hole structure. The additional round and players represent LIV Golf’s continued evolution as it enters its third season.
Riyadh Golf Club, hosting its second LIV Golf event, provided the backdrop for these format changes. The course’s sixth hole proved to be a pivotal point where teams had to make crucial strategic decisions about when to deploy their Power Play advantage.
Strategic Team Element
The Power Play concept exemplifies LIV Golf’s emphasis on team competition alongside individual play. Unlike traditional stroke play events, teams must coordinate their strategy and decide collectively when to maximize their scoring potential.
Each of the 19 teams in the expanded field faced the same strategic challenge: whether the sixth hole at Riyadh Golf Club offered the best opportunity to double their score contribution, or if they should wait for what they perceived as better scoring opportunities on other holes throughout the round.
The season opener in Riyadh sets the tone for LIV Golf’s 2024 schedule, with the expanded format and increased player count reflecting the league’s growth since its controversial debut in 2022.
The 6th at Riyadh Golf Club was the @aramco Power Play hole 💪
Here’s who took it on 👀#LIVGolfRiyadh pic.twitter.com/XH0pfzpGdt
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2026
This article was created with the help of AI and editorially reviewed. Report an issue