LIV Golf expanding tournament format to 72 holes in 2026: Rory McIlroy calls it a ‘peculiar move’ but Jon Rahm says ‘this is a win for the league, and the players’

Rory McIlroy has branded LIV Golf’s decision to expand its events to 72 holes as “peculiar”.

Since its inception in 2022, LIV Golf tournaments have been 54-hole events, with the majority played Friday through Sunday, an unconventional format that played a role in the Official World Golf Ranking denying it ranking points.

Moving to four days of competition with events beginning on Thursday of tournament weeks puts LIV Golf more in line with the setup of PGA Tour events.

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McIlroy, a vocal critic of LIV Golf, was not convinced by the decision.

“I think it’s a peculiar move,” he said, “because I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds. I don’t think three rounds vs four rounds is what was holding them back.”

“It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we’ve all done,” McIlroy continued. “It brings them back into not really being a destructor and sort of is falling more in line with what everyone else does.

“But if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get the ranking points, I guess that’s what they had to do.”

McIlroy questioned how many ranking points will be on offer at LIV Golf events, adding: “Their fields are going to be weak because a lot of their guys have already dropped in the rankings after going so long without points.

“So I’m not sure how much the ranking points will actually help them. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.”

Image:
Jon Rahm won the LIV Golf Individual Championship for the second successive year

The stakes are high for LIV’s star-studded roster as world rankings play a key role in determining entry into golf’s four majors.

The lack of ranking points has led to LIV Golf players tumbling down the rankings, with former world No 1 Dustin Johnson now ranked 604th in the OWGR.

“This is a win for the League, and the players,” said two-time major champion Jon Rahm, LIV Golf’s reigning individual champion and captain of the circuit’s Legion XIII.

“LIV Golf is a player’s league. We are competitors to the core and we want every opportunity to compete at the highest level and to perfect our craft.

“Moving to 72 holes is the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and if the growing galleries from last season are any indication, delivers more of what the fans want.”

Johnson added: “It’s a great move for the league and I’m excited for it. Playing 72 holes just feels a little more like the big tournaments we’ve all grown up playing. I’ve always liked the grind of four rounds – it gives the best players a chance to rise to the top.

“LIV Golf has been a great experience from the start, and I think this makes it even better for the fans and for us out there competing.”

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