Back in 2022, when LIV Golf burst onto the global stage, they started off their journey by rewriting the rulebook. The LIV Gold introduced a bold, fast-paced format built around 54-hole tournaments. And this was a sharp contrast to the traditional four-round 72-hole structure. However, now, after a journey of four years, the Saudi-backed has decided to make a significant shift.

While LIV introduced the 54-hole structure, it also came with a cost. The golfers of the Saudi-backed league were not considered under the Official World Golf Ranking system. But now, their decision to change their format has given rise to discussions regarding LIV Golf players getting considered under the OWGR. And recently, the chairman of the OWGR himself has shared his take on the matter.

The CEO of LIV, Scott O’Neil, made the big announcement back in November 2025. Official World Golf Ranking’s chairman, Trevor Immelman while having a conversation with NBC Golf, was asked about where LIV Golf stands at the moment. Immelman reflected on the matter and stated, “We found out right before everybody else did, Scott O’Neill let us know that they were going to make the change to 72 holes. I guess they feel like they’re going to be evolving, their league is going to be evolving, they’re going to be playing 72, their fields are going to be growing. And so he gave us the heads up on that.”

The OWGR chairman further added, “And for us, the board has really been working hard and super involved in checking out their application that they put in in June. We’ve been working really closely with LIV to make sure that we handle this in the appropriate fashion with as much integrity as possible. Dialogue has been back and forth and constant, and really in a great spirit. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Scott O’Neill, he’s a passionate guy, he’s very passionate about the LIV Golf League, and whilst there’s been no decision just yet, we’ll have to see what happens here in the future.”

Trevor stressed on the fact that discussions between the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and LIV Golf are ongoing and active. According to reports, the next planned meeting of OWGR is set to take place around the Masters in April 2026, which would be the routine opportunity to formally evaluate LIV Golf’s status. Now it’s for time to tell how the future of LIV turns out to be.

Such a move by LIV Golf toward familiarity rather than rebellion has also made the top names react to this update. While on one hand, LIV’s Jon Rahm has praised the shift, PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy had a different opinion to share.

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Jon Rahm’s and Rory McIlroy’s reaction to LIV Golf expanding to 72 holes from 54

Back in 2022, when LIV Golf was initially announced, the tournament followed a 54-hole format. However, over the years, owing to its unconventional format, the Official World Golf Ranking denied the league from being awarded ranking points. As such, three years down the line, the Saudi-backed league is now ready to switch its old format to a new, more traditional one. 

Recently, the LIV Golf announced that it would be looking to follow a four-day competition mode. Also, they increased the holes from 54 to 72 in order to come more in line with the PGA guidelines. This way, players of the league will be awarded the much-awaited world ranking points. However, reacting to the same, two golfing stalwarts, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, had quite contrasting takes. 

The PGA Tour legend pointed out that the LIV could have obtained the ranking points with a three-round format. There was no need to drag it to four. And thus, McIlroy termed it as ‘peculiar.’ “I think it’s a peculiar move 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,” McIlroy said.

However, Rahm did not agree to McIlroy’s take. He termed the league as a ‘players league.’ And the LIV Golf star welcomed the changes with open arms. “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,” said Rahm. Thus, with things looking pretty contradictory, it now remains to be seen how the two leagues function in the long run.