LIV Golf’s announcement that it is changing its tournaments from 54 to 72 holes was met with mixed reactions – and an easy joke.
“So it’s LXXII Golf now?”
LXXII Golf doesn’t quite have the same character… The Saudi-backed tournaments have been 54-hole events since they started in 2022, but will move to four days of competition in 2026 ⛳ pic.twitter.com/Ah3WfLoXrr
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) November 5, 2025
You get the idea. From the beginning, LIV’s name had worked as a reference in Roman numerals to the number of holes – 54, three rounds of 18 – which was a key part of its disruptive identity in a world of 72-hole stroke play tournaments. But LIV has always had a second meaning; the Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, has referred 54 as a “perfect score” in golf, the score a player would achieve if he made 18 birdies on a par-72 course. (This doesn’t include Eagles and Par-71s, but we get the idea.) There’s also a $54 million prize waiting for any LIV golfer who hits that number. Bryson DeChambeau came closest with 58. So there is a part of “54” that will continue.
Why 72 holes?
Several factors likely contributed to LIV’s decision to go to 72 holes. The league has reshaped itself this offseason as it seeks legitimacy, both in the public eye and through recognition by the Official World Golf Ranking, with whom it has communicated about points gains as it enters its fifth season. Gaining OWGR points would theoretically help attract talent from other tours and increase potential access to major championships – currently a sticking point for players reluctant to jump into the league.
It’s part of a shift away from the pirate ship mentality that Greg Norman originally brought with him as commissioner. And when Scott O’Neil, LIV’s new CEO, took over from Norman in the summer of 2025, he has taken a more diplomatic public approach to the league’s place in the golf ecosystem, expressing a desire for common ground with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and working to integrate his league into the world of sponsors and partners. The move to 72 holes brings a little more exposure and dispels an easy criticism – that 54 holes is not a “real tournament” – and potentially makes it more compatible with the OWGR. Revolution was one of the fundamental principles of LIV; now it seems to be returning to the mainstream.
It’s worth noting that there is also potential financial benefit to a fourth day of competition, which would expand broadcast opportunities and in-person attendance revenue. However, this is hardly a guarantee; Another round of tournaments is also extremely expensive to organize, and Norman warned of the “economic impact” of a fourth day.
The real risk comes from equality. Some people are rolling their eyes at LIV’s claim that it is “carry on.”[ing] to innovate and develop their product” as LIV is just returning to the global standard of 72 holes. It’s not clear how fond players are of the change; Tyrrell Hatton said that although he approved four rounds, only three of LIV’s 48 players voted for it a year ago, and Phil Mickelson admitted that he “honestly not sureon
What does LIV stand for?
Because LIV (or at least had) two meanings, we will also give this question two answers.
LIV still quite literally stands for 54, which they believe represents golf’s perfect score.
The ongoing question is what LIV stands forfrom a fan’s perspective. What are the differentiating factors? What gap does this fill? The most obvious difference is the teams. There is also the shotgun start. There’s also Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka. But the tournament structure (14 events, 72-hole stroke play, $20 million individual purses) is nearly identical to the PGA Tour’s Signature Events (12 events, 72-hole stroke play, mostly $20 million individual purses).
LIV’s press release came with the statement that it is “the first truly global golf competition,” another potential point of differentiation. That still feels like a long shot on the DP World Tour, which describes itself as “golf’s global tour.” There are unresolved conflicts in the professional golf landscape, but this is a battle to watch: If the PGA Tour dominates the US market, how can LIV and the DPWT coexist abroad?
A final note on abbreviations: Jokes aside, how much does this matter? Maybe not so much. The ‘PGA’ in ‘PGA Tour’, as I understand it, doesn’t officially stand for anything (it has its origins in the Professional Golfers Association of America, but I don’t think you’ll find that written out in full anywhere anymore). The TGL, another disruptor, unofficially stands for TMRW Golf League, but usually only stands for TGL. For what it’s worth, the SAT doesn’t stand for anything anymore either; it just is. And LIV usually just stands for LIV.
Even as LIV continues to change.
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