LIV Golf’s move to 72 holes is unpopular among players and unlikely to sway OWGR. A closer look at the contradictions.
The jokes came fast and haven’t stopped: social media is flooded with puns and mockery after LIV Golf announced it would expand its tournament format from 54 to 72 holes. Since LIV is the Roman numeral for 54, fans now joke it should be renamed LXXII. But branding confusion is the least of LIV’s problems.
LIV abandons a core principle
The league faces a credibility crisis. Critics argue that the shift betrays one of LIV’s founding principles. While the field size of 54 players remains unchanged—for now—trademark filings for new team names suggest expansion is imminent. The Real Club De Toros GC may replace Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs, but other teams hint at growth, including a potential Indian or Asian squad aimed at the subcontinent’s massive golf market, already tapped by Bryson DeChambeau’s recruitment of Anirban Lahiri.
With two players from the Asian Tour’s International Series and two more from LIV Promotions joining in 2026, the 54-player cap is likely history.
OWGR hopes misplaced?
Some see the change as an attempt to gain OWGR recognition under new chairman Trevor Immelmann. But as Rory McIlroy rightly points out, the issue isn’t the number of holes but the limited field and closed qualification system. LIV’s structure resembles a private club more than a merit-based tour.
Golf analyst Lou Stagner echoed this sentiment on X, noting LIV’s flawed model: small fields, shotgun starts, and no real pathway for new players. “Were they different just to be different?” he asked.
What’s next to go?
With 72 holes now standard from 2026, what other elements might be scrapped? Team play? Shotgun starts? Even a cut? As Saudi funding potentially wanes, will franchises survive? If the player cap is lifted, how much are current stars willing to sacrifice? LIV risks becoming what it sought to disrupt: just another golf tour.
LIV’s original promise was “Golf. But louder.” Shorter, punchier, more exciting. The new format feels like empty posturing. As National Club Golfer put it, “The league returns to the crusty old format many believe is a syrupy slog the PGA and DP World Tour have waded through for years.”
Even the claim that players wanted the change doesn’t hold. Talor Gooch once said 54 holes were more exciting for fans. Tyrrell Hatton recently revealed that only three of 48 LIV players supported 72 holes in a 2024 poll.
Lex Rahm and DeChambeau’s influence?
Still, the shift makes sense for stars like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who have Major ambitions and prefer consistency in format. Rahm reportedly made 72 holes a