The 2025 season is ending, highlighting the most pivotal decisions and moments in professional golf.
Although golf is marked by many constants, 2025 brought profound decisions, particularly impacting the LIV Golf League. These moves signal LIV Golf’s outreach towards established tours, while changes also occurred in the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.
LIV Golf’s Strategic and Leadership Reshuffle
In January, LIV Golf appointed American Scott O’Neil as CEO, succeeding Greg Norman who initially stayed advisory but fully stepped back in September. With decades of pro sports management expertise, O’Neil aims to innovate and broaden LIV Golf’s reach, fostering better relations with other tours and exploring cooperation with the Majors, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), and the PGA Tour.
By February, R&A and USGA established new qualifying paths for LIV players for the Open Championship and US Open. April saw an initial rapprochement between LIV Golf and OWGR, symbolized by a meeting between O’Neil and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman at Augusta National Golf Club, the first since LIV’s rejected OWGR application. However, LIV players still face challenges qualifying for majors.
Implications of Fines and Format Shift
LIV Golf’s decision to end fines against DP World Tour members from 2026 onwards could have significant effects. DP World Tour rules and court rulings penalize unauthorized participation in rival events. Players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton participated in the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour events this year without fines due to ongoing appeals. Post-2025, DP World Tour members must bear sanctions themselves, risking a potentially weakened European team at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland.
The most drastic change is LIV’s expansion to 72-hole tournaments from 2026, switching from its original 54-hole (three-day) format. Tournaments will typically run Thursday through Sunday, aligning with PGA and DP World Tour traditions. LIV Golf’s original 54-hole format was a deliberate departure symbolized by the league’s name, with LIV representing Roman numeral for 54.
Transformations on the PGA and LPGA Tours
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour announced leadership change with Brian Rolapp, a seasoned NFL executive, named CEO to succeed Commissioner Jay Monahan by late 2026. Rolapp will also lead PGA Tour Enterprises, created in 2024 to enhance revenue and focus on media rights, marketing, and digital strategy—key to the tour’s future.
The LPGA Tour saw Craig Kessler, formerly with Topgolf, replace Mollie Marcoux Samaa as commissioner in May, stirring debate about female representation in golf’s leading women’s body despite Kessler’s extensive sport and entertainment experience.
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