LIV abandons part of its core identity

LIV Golf will abandon its signature 54-hole format in 2026 in favor of the 72-hole play used by most global tours and the Majors.

The change is an interesting reversal, considering that 54 is baked into the league’s name (LIV is “54” in Roman numerals). The three-round events were part of what LIV said made it different and better.

The players who said they wanted to play less golf for more money are now playing almost as much without any say in their own schedule. The “more money” part remains true, I think.

Starting the shotgun will remain for now. I went to a LIV tournament. That’s the part I liked the least.

An obvious conclusion is that LIV had to make the change to 72 holes to give its members the official World Golf Ranking points needed to qualify for the Majors – and for bragging rights. At this point – despite the LIV Bots insistence that LIV “has the best players” there is simply no telling.

More places in the teams will also become available through relegation and promotion. That’s certainly to combat the problem (for OWGR points) of LIV being closed loop.

LIV’s press release obviously puts a very positive spin on the change – as if this was somehow the plan all along.

“As we enter our fourth season as a League, the move to 72 holes marks a critical 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 our global audience craves. We are seeing upward momentum and traction from Hong Kong to Adelaide to Indianapolis, and that increased interest opens the door to add another day of golf while benefiting our fans, players, marketing partners and our global media partners,” saidScott O’Neil, CEO of LIV Golf.

That is serious corporate doublespeak.

However, this positivity runs counter to reports that the Saudi-backed league has lost $1.4 billion since 2022. Just as troubling for the league is that this – even on FOX’s flagship channel – only one-sixth as many eyeballs as the PGA TOUR.

I attended the LIV Michigan tournament last summer and found it to be a well-planned and well-executed event. I don’t think it was as well attended as the PGA TOUR events I’ve been to, but since no one releases official tickets (PGAT or LIV) there’s no way to know.

My lasting impression of the coverage of the LIV Michigan event is that it looked a lot like a state or county fair. Although the official purpose of a county fair is to exhibit livestock and produce, most people are there for the carnival, the food and the music. I would wager that less than a third of the people at a fair spend a significant amount of time watching the parade and auction of cows and pigs.

While many were certainly at LIV Michigan to watch quality golf, I had a feeling many more were there for the party. Golf was the excuse for food, drinks, carnival games (there was an entire fan participation halfway through) and music – including concerts by Imagine Dragons and Swedish House Mafia.

I’m curious to see if LIV can keep up the festive mood for four days. And – since OWGR points and relegation are now on the line – whether the tournaments will also become less of a joke.

I predict the shotgun start is next as LIV tries to gain a television audience and respect.