The LIV Golf League season kicks off February 4 with new players and rules. An overview of teams and all the changes.
The LIV Golf season starts on February 4 with some changes and new faces. Alongside format changes, prize money and point systems have also been adjusted.
More Holes, More Prize Money and More Points
The LIV Golf League launches in 2026 with an expanded competition concept. More rounds, an extended points system, and increased prize money bring several changes for the new season. A total of 57 players, including 52 permanent team players and five wildcard players, make up the field. Divided into 13 teams, each team has four professionals supplemented by the wildcards who compete exclusively in the individual competition. There will be 14 events in total, featuring both team and individual competitions.
New Point System: Every Point Counts in the Fight for Prize Money
New to the upcoming season: all tournaments will be played for the first time over four days from Thursday to Sunday, covering 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 individual event winner is the player with the lowest overall score after 72 holes. At the same time, every single round of each player fully counts towards the team score. The team with the lowest total scorecard wins the event team title.
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 earns points, replacing the previous all-or-nothing system.
There is also a paradigm shift in the team rankings. Whereas previously only the top eight teams earned points, now all teams are rewarded. The winner receives 30 points, second place 15, and even the last placed team still gets two points. This keeps every team competitively relevant until the last day.
The economic dimension also grows significantly: the weekly team prize money doubles from five to ten million dollars. From 2026, each team also receives prize money based on their placing, not just the best. Additionally, a new individual prize money model offers 2.3 million euros weekly to the best individual players of the podium teams. Overall, 470 million euros in prize money are up for grabs this season.
After 13 regular events, the individual champion will be crowned based on accumulated points. But it’s about more than a title; every placement affects prize money, contract status, and future in the league, sorted into three categories.
Lock Zone (Positions 1-34) guarantees a contract offer for the next season.
Open Zone (Positions 35-46) allows continued league participation but without contract guarantee.
Drop Zone (Positions 47-57) requires players to earn their league spot via relegation.
Team Championship as the Grand Finale of the LIV Golf Tour
The season concludes with the 14