Despite what they might say, it’s hard to view LIV Golf as any sort of underdog when you look at the kind of money they’ve poured into the sport since launching in 2021.
LIV Golf completely upended the sport when they arrived on the scene. For a while, it even felt like they might overtake the PGA Tour altogether, especially with so many big names moving over.
Bringing Jon Rahm on board in December 2023 was supposed to change everything for LIV. But looking ahead to 2026, it’s clear things haven’t played out as hoped. The early momentum has faded and there are real questions about where they go next.
The financial losses have been significant. And for those who stayed away from LIV in the beginning, nothing much has changed to make them reconsider now.
The league is still searching for its true identity. They’re getting closer, but there’s still a way to go before they can define what makes them different from what fans already know and follow.
LIV Golf can only shout about being different for so long before substance needs to back up the claims.
LIV Golf’s format needs a fresh approach
LIV Golf has set itself apart from the PGA Tour with a few notable differences. Their events are shorter, played over 54 holes instead of the usual 72, and rounds start simultaneously across the course. There’s also a team element added to the mix.
But despite these changes, LIV hasn’t really caught on with fans in the way they might have hoped. Part of that could be down to how much they’re trying to pack into each event.
The league isn’t likely to drop the 54-hole format—after all, it’s right there in their name. The shotgun start doesn’t seem to be as big an issue as some suggest, especially since winners typically finish on the 18th hole anyway.
The real problem seems to be how the individual and team competitions are mixed together. It makes things feel cluttered and hard to follow.
It’s tough to convince anyone watching that players are as invested in their team’s results as they are in their own performance. Tyrrell Hatton even said that Legion XIII’s team win at LIV Golf UK in 2024 didn’t make up for missing out on an individual title against Jon Rahm.
That kind of honesty speaks volumes about what really matters to players. Even so, there might still be a way for LIV to give its events more legitimacy without losing what makes them unique.
One idea could be adding an extra round on Thursday focused solely on teams—an 18-hole shootout similar to Formula One’s sprint races. Then, from Friday onward, attention would shift completely back onto individual play over three days.
Why LIV Golf should add a fourth round to help their players
LIV Golf players haven’t exactly been lighting up the major championships since switching over. Only two have managed to win a major: Brooks Koepka at the 2023 PGA Championship and Bryson DeChambeau at the 2024 US Open.
It’s also notable that no player has claimed their first major after joining LIV. While that will change eventually, it’s not great optics for a league whose brightest star, Joaquin Niemann, has just one career top-10 in majors.
The types of courses LIV uses don’t help either. Few of them present the kind of challenge you’d find at a major championship.
There’s also the shorter format to consider. Majors are about endurance and pacing across four rounds – something LIV’s 54-hole events don’t prepare players for.
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Moving to four rounds would also better prepare Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann for majors while giving more credibility to their achievements if they manage to win on golf’s biggest stages.
Getting more major wins from their players could be key in attracting new talent. So adding an extra round each week wouldn’t fix everything overnight, but it’d be a step forward.
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