The LIV Golf League format is changing for 2026, expanding tournaments from 54 holes to 72 holes.
The Saudi-owned league made the announcement in the latest in a series of updates to its format and eligibility requirements, which many suspect are changes designed to help the league gain Official World Golf Ranking recognition.
The 13 individual tournaments on the 14-tournament slate will now run from Thursday through Sunday, maintaining the shotgun-start format that has been in place since the Invitational Series debut in 2022. It's unclear how many players will compete in the league in 2026, but the team component that runs parallel to the individual-focused events will also compete in four rounds as well. As has been previously changed, the scores from all four players on each team will count toward their team total in each round.
“This is a win for the League, and the players,” said Jon Rahm in a release announcing the change. “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.”
Rahm once again won the LIV Golf season-long individual championship in 2025, but he didn't win any event on the schedule.
Joaquin Niemann, who won five times on LIV Golf in 2025 and finished second to Rahm in the overall points race, also lauded the change.
“I’m excited to see the League make this shift,” said Niemann in a release. “Moving to 72 holes means more competition, which is what we want. We’re here to compete every round and this evolution delivers that for our team. More time on-course means more opportunity, whether it's visibility, performance, or delivering for our fans.”
LIV Golf recently announced they would invite four new players to their league through two different existing pathways. Two spots will be made available through the Promotions event, moved to January and played in Florida for 2026. Also, the top two players from the Asian Tour's International Series Order of Merit that are not already in LIV Golf will be granted spots for next season.
