LIV Golf to Adopt 72-Hole format for All 2026 Events
November 4, 2025 – LIV Golf announced today it will transition to a 72-hole format for all regular season events beginning with the 2026 season, a meaningful change for the controversial golf league entering its fourth year.The move, announced in a press release, is intended to strengthen the league, challenge its players, and align with the standard format recognized globally.
“We enter our fourth season as a league, the move to 72 holes marks a pivotal new chapter for LIV Golf that strengthens our league, challenges our elite field of players, and delivers more of the world-class golf, energy, innovation and access that our global audience wants,” said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil.
The change comes as LIV Golf continues its pursuit of inclusion in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Currently, LIV Golf events do not award OWGR points, limiting players’ opportunities to earn ranking points outside of major championships and events on other tours like the DP World Tour or the Asian Tour. LIV Golf initially submitted an application for OWGR points in June 2022, but later withdrew it before resubmitting over the summer.
“Everyone wants to see the best players in the world competing against each other, especially in the majors, and for the good of the game, we need a path forward,” said Bryson DeChambeau in the league’s press release. “By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally. This is a fantastic evolution of the LIV golf product, showing how our League listens and adapts to create the best possible experience.”
Despite the shift to 72 holes, LIV Golf will maintain its signature shotgun starts and existing scoring systems for regular events. Details regarding the format for the season-ending team championship will be announced at a later date.
LIV Golf also announced this week it will double the number of roster spots available through its qualifying pathways – the LIV Golf Promotions Event (January 8-11 at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida) and the Asian Tour’s International Series. The league’s official offseason, allowing team captains to sign, release, and trade players based on 2025 standings, began this weekend.
The 2026 LIV Golf season is scheduled to begin February 4 at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.
