Is LIV Golf going to change its name to LXXII Golf now? They might not, even though the original plan was that they hosted 54-hole events (LIV is 54 in Roman numerals). But turning their tournaments into 72-hole events does open a whole world of opportunities for them. One of them is that they have a better shot at getting sanctioned by OWGR, which was something Scott O’Neil was aiming for. Tyrrell Hatton, for one, couldn’t be happier that they took this vital step.

At Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., preparing for the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the Englishman was asked for his opinion on the changes. Hatton told reporters, “I think it’s a good thing that LIV have moved to four rounds. I know at the end of my first season, there was a questionnaire that was filled out, and one of the questions was about moving to 72 holes, and I think of everyone that filled it out, I think there was only three guys initially that had said about moving there.”

It’s interesting to know that Scott O’Neil & his team sought everyone’s opinion regarding the issue. Considering only a few of Hatton’s peers, including Jon Rahm, wanted it to move to 72 holes, we wonder why they went against their views. For Hatton to still be eager for the change shows how much he wanted LIV Golf to be sanctioned by the OWGR. It shows that he’s enjoying his time here, but was still unsatisfied with his status in the world golf rankings.

Hatton expressed how excited he was with the changes.”I guess that’s changed quite a bit in the last year, and certainly from my standpoint, I’m quite happy that we’ve moved to 72 holes.” Since the arrival of O’Neil, LIV Golf has certainly been much more widely accepted in the golf community. The new CEO was able to form great relationships with the other leaders in golf. That has helped increase their reach.

Interestingly, not everyone holds the same opinion as Tyrrell Hatton when it comes to the changes implemented by LIV Golf. Let’s see what other pros had to say about it.

Does everyone else not believe LIV Golf made the right move like Tyrrell Hatton?

Scott O’Neil & LIV Golf may be trying everything they can to gain OWGR status. But not everyone thinks that they should have gone ahead with changing the format to 72 holes like Tyrrell Hatton. One of them is their biggest critic, Rory McIlroy, who thought they could have been sanctioned without the change. The Irishman said, “I don’t think three rounds versus four rounds is what was holding them back.”

One of LIV Golf’s biggest promoters, Phil Mickelson, also shared how he wasn’t sure about the changes. He tweeted, “I’m honestly not sure.” Looking to play a lighter schedule and enjoy golf, Mickelson was probably not thrilled that LIV Golf has succumbed to the 4-day format. That was one of the reasons he left the PGA Tour.

However, Jon Rahm was in support of the decision as he called it the next logical move for LVI Golf. It will be interesting to see how everyone else copes in this situation.