The Official World Golf Ranking rejected LIV Golf twice. First in October 2023, then again in 2024. Both times, the reasoning was technical: LIV’s format didn’t meet the standards required for ranking points. Now, LIV has announced a major change for 2026. The league is switching from 54-hole to 72-hole tournaments. This appears to be a direct response to those rejections. However, there’s a significant catch that undermines the entire move.

LIV Golf made the announcement on November 3-4, 2025. All regular-season events will now be played over four days starting in 2026. The league framed this as an evolution toward traditional golf. CEO Scott O’Neil called it “a pivotal new chapter” that strengthens the competition.

Then, Underdog Golf broke the news on X that shotgun starts will remain for LIV events. This means all 54 players still tee off simultaneously from different holes across the course. The entertainment-first approach continues unchanged.

LIV officials emphasized that shotgun starts maintain the rapid-fire presentation that defines their brand. Players spread across 18 different starting holes. Everyone finishes at roughly the same time. It creates a certain energy that traditional golf can’t match.

Shotgun starts were cited explicitly in the OWGR’s rejections. OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson made it clear that LIV’s format made it impossible to rank players “equitably with the other 24 tours.” The shotgun format violates traditional tournament standards that the OWGR requires.

Traditionalists have criticized this approach since LIV’s 2022 launch. They point to course congestion as a major issue. Playing conditions vary dramatically across different parts of the course. The weather affects the group differently depending on their starting hole.

“As we enter our fourth season as a League, the move to 72 holes marks a pivotal 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 that our global audience wants,” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said in a press release.

The stakes extend beyond format debates. Without OWGR points, LIV players struggle to qualify for major championships. They rely on past champion exemptions or alternative pathways. Most of the field gets locked out of golf’s biggest events.

Dawson noted that while format issues, such as 54 holes, could be “dealt with mathematically,” other problems ran deeper. OWGR cited LIV’s closed structure with limited player turnover. The simultaneous team competition conflicted with individual results. Fields of 48-54 players fell short of the OWGR’s 75-player guideline. The 36-hole cut requirement remained unmet.

LIV reapplied for OWGR recognition in July 2025 under the new CEO, O’Neil. The 72-hole change addresses one major concern. Yet keeping shotgun starts suggests LIV won’t fully conform to traditional standards.

Player reactions have been supportive of the format extension. Bryson DeChambeau said the move helps align with “the historic format recognized globally.” Jon Rahm called it “a win for the league and the players.” Dustin Johnson noted that 72 holes “feels a little more like the big tournaments.”

While that’s that, LIV is maintaining another controversial practice alongside shotgun starts.

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LIV Golf’s sponsor exemptions: the other OWGR obstacle

The league’s invitation system remains fully intact for 2026. LIV Golf invitations function as sponsor exemptions that bypass merit-based qualification entirely. Categories A and B exemptions into LIV Golf Promotions let the league curate its field. Only two full-season spots go to qualifiers at the January 8-11, 2026, event at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida. That’s up from just one in 2025, but still minimal compared to 52 contracted players who return regardless of performance.

PGA Tour officials responded with immediate disciplinary action. They announced suspensions for any member playing in LIV Promotions, citing North America location rules that prohibit conflicting event releases. Non-members face a one-year ban from all PGA Tour events, including Monday qualifiers and sponsor exemptions. The turf war between tours intensifies with each competitive move.

“Everyone wants to see the best players in the world competing against each other, especially in the majors, and for the good of the game, we need a path forward. By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally,” DeChambeau said in a statement released by LIV.

OWGR evaluates tours based on reasonable access for local and regional players. LIV’s structure fails this test despite expanding qualifying spots from one to four total for 2026. Contracted players still represent the overwhelming majority of every field. LIV’s strategy becomes clear: make just enough concessions to pursue OWGR points while refusing to abandon their disruptive formats.

OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman stated in July 2025 that the board is “committed to a thorough evaluation” of LIV’s application. The league’s 2026 season begins February 4 in Riyadh. Whether OWGR accepts this approach will determine whether LIV players gain easier access to majors or remain outsiders in golf’s most significant events.