Opinion: LIV Tour’s change to 72 holes impacts its identity

LIV (Google Images)

The LIV Tour has made a significant change towards what a protoypical tournament will look like in 2026. They will no longer have a three-day, 54 hole tournament. Instead, they will have a four-day, 72 hole event.

The reason why the LIV Tour made the switch is interesting. The rationale appears to be related to the Official World Golf Rankings. Until now the results from the LIV Tour are not recognized by the OWGR. By increasing the number of holes and days for every tournament, the LIV is hoping to gain more global acceptance. If their tournaments are given OWGR status, then golfers have a better chance of qualifying for major championships.

However, by making the changes, the identity and image of the LIV Tour rapidly changes. Don’t forget that LIV is 54 in Roman Numerals, and was a major reason why the golf organization was called LIV to begin with. So, one legitimate question is will the LIV Tour change to the LXXII League?

The switch from 54 to 72 holes is getting reaction throughout the golf community. PGA Tour star and current world number two and five-time major champion Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland called the decision “peculiar.”

It should be noted the LIV Tour has attempted to get OWGR status in the past. However, according to ESPN, because its players are selected to the Tour every year, and participate on a Tour that prioritizes team play, their application was initially rejected. It will now be interesting to see if this significant change made by the LIV Tour will create any more changes. It will also be interesting to see if the players will earn a higher income per week now that they are expected to golf more.