WAs you sort through the leftover Halloween candy and wait to press the start button to bring out the Christmas decorations, the waves are still playing. A number of things that come first:
• LIV Golf is getting closer to secure points in the world rankings?
That appears to be the subtext of the tour’s twin announcements this week that 72 holes will be played instead of 54 holes next year and that the number of qualifying spots will be doubled through both the International Series rankings and the LIV Golf Promotions event to be played in January.
The move to 72 holes from 54 holes addresses one of the concerns raised by the Official World Golf Ranking when it initially rejected the group’s request to be included in the rankings.
“The move to 72 holes is the logical next step that increases competition, tests us more fully, and, if last season’s growing galleries are any indication, delivers more of what fans want,” Jon Rahm said in a statement announcing the change.
The International Series is a group of Asian Tour events and the top two players in the season-long points race who are not otherwise qualified will earn spots on LIV Golf for the 2026 season, an increase of one spot from previous years.
Currently, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena are in the top two places with two events remaining. While both are quality players, neither has the star quality that seems necessary for LIV Golf to attract more attention.
Similarly, the promotional event will move from offering one to two places on LIV Golf, with the top 10 finishers completely exempt from competing in the International Series events next year.
When the Official World Golf Ranking previously decided not to award ranking points to LIV Golf, the organization cited the lack of relegation and promotion within the tour’s structure, specifically pointing out that a number of players were contractually bound to play on the tour regardless of their performance.
This seems like a small step towards remedying the situation, but LIV will likely have to make more changes to eventually be included in the world rankings.
In July, OWGR president Trevor Immelman announced that LIV Golf had reapplied for world rankings points, but offered no timetable for when a decision could be finalized.
• When the Masters announced it that it would extend invitations to the champions of a handful of national openings earlier this year while eliminating invitations for winners of the fall events on the PGA Tour was both a recognition of the game’s global resonance and an acknowledgment that what happens on the PGA Tour after the FedEx Cup Playoffs isn’t as impactful as what happened before.
That means Steven Fisk failed to qualify for the Masters by winning the Sanderson Farms Championship, while Tom McKibbin, who opted to join LIV Golf earlier this year, is now locked into the Masters and the Open Championship thanks to his win Sunday in the Asian Tour’s Link Hong Kong Open.
The Hong Kong Open is one of six events – the Scottish Open, the Spanish Open, the Japan Open, the Australian Open and the South African Open being the others – where the winner will now receive an invitation to the Masters and an exemption to the Open Championship.
“I’m really excited to get back and play in my third Open and to drive through Magnolia Lane for the first time will be even more special. Historic tournaments like this deserve those spots, so it’s great to take advantage of that.” –Tom McKibbin
For McKibbin, widely considered one of the game’s rising stars, the win immediately changes his plans for 2026, while Fisk has yet to earn his way to Augusta.
“I’m really excited to get back and play in my third Open and to make that trip down Magnolia Lane for the first time will be even more special. Historic tournaments like this deserve those spots, so it’s great to take advantage of that,” McKibbin said after his victory in Hong Kong.
It’s a good change from the Masters qualifiers (although the Scottish Open already included an invitation due to its PGA Tour status) due to the dilution of the tour’s autumn schedule. While it still makes for good stories – the rise of Michael Brennan is the latest example – winning the Bank of Utah Championship or the Baycurrent Championship doesn’t carry the same weight as winning during the regular season.
• It gets to the heart of the matter for players trying to secure their full PGA Tour privileges for 2026 with just three events remaining, starting with the World Wide Technology Championship this week in Mexico.
With the number of full qualifiers dropped from 125 to 100 this year, David Lipsky is ranked No. 100, but he needs at least one strong finish to secure his place.
Among the players between 90th and 110th, Max Homa, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel, Tom Kim and Austin Eckroat are already exempt for 2026, but others are not so safe.
Beau Hossler is 98th, Scott is 99th and Horschel is 101st, followed by Sami Valimaki, Isaiah Salinda and Patrick Fishburn. Further down the line is Brandt Snedeker 119th and Matt Kuchar 120th.
It only takes one strong week to end the uncertainty, but the window of opportunity is closing quickly.
• The announcement that changes are underway on the Old Course at St Andrews, adding 132 yards and adjusting the placement of a handful of bunkers is another sign of how the game has changed.
How the Old Course plays is weather dependent and while the extra distance will make some difference, it is likely that the bunker work could have more impact. When the wind is blowing, the Old Course is a brilliant challenge and strategy comes to the fore.
We’ve become accustomed to classic courses being expanded and redesigned in recent years, but it seems especially jarring when it comes to the Old Course. The game will never go back to the way it was when a 400 yard par-4 was considered long and the Old Course is not exempt from responding to the evolution of the game.
From a historical perspective it will be relevant forever, but the changes are necessary to remain competitively relevant. Just another sign of the times.
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