LIV Golf 2026: Field extension and 72 holes - Are world ranking points coming?

LIV Golf is saying goodbye to its foundations: from the 2026 season, the league will not only play over 72 holes, but will also expand its field of participants. At the same time, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is signaling an end to the ice age with new points regulations and positive signals. We analyze what is behind the transformation of the "rebel Tour".

LIV Golf - the name used to say it all. The Roman abbreviation for 54 stood for the number of holes to be played and the size of the field of participants. But with the start of the 2026 season on February 4 in Riyadh, this identity belongs to history. The league, which once set out to radically modernize the game of golf, is approaching traditional standards at a remarkable pace.

LIV Golf: More players, more competition?

The most important change concerns the size of the field: instead of the previous 54 players, 57 players will tee off per tournament in future. The three additional starting places will be awarded via a tough qualifying tournament, the "LIV Golf Promotions" event in Florida.

The special thing about this is that these three qualifiers will compete as "wildcard" players. They do not belong to any of the fixed teams, but play exclusively for their own individual ranking. This is LIV boss Greg Norman's direct response to criticism from the World Ranking Committee, which had criticized the lack of sporting qualification paths and the closed nature of the league in the past.

OWGR: A "discount system" for short tournaments

Almost at the same time as the announcements from Saudi Arabia, the OWGR Board published new guidelines that seem technical at first glance, but have enormous political explosive power. From now on, tournaments that are played over 54 holes as scheduled will only receive 75 percent of the regular world ranking points.

This change protects the ranking from distortions, such as those that recently occurred when Wyndham Clark won at Pebble Beach, when he collected the full number of points after a weather-related reduction to 54 holes. However, in the context of LIV Golf, this regulation is a clear signal: the OWGR creates the structural conditions to be able to fairly evaluate formats beyond the classic 72 holes - even if LIV would no longer necessarily need this step due to its own switch to 72 holes.

Signs of relaxation

OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman's choice of words suggests that intensive work is being done behind the scenes to integrate the LIV Tour. Immelman emphasized the need to preserve the "meritocracy" of professional golf, but also stated: "To be clear, progress has been made, but there is no decision to announce at this time. We will continue to work closely with LIV Golf as it develops."

Why the rush?

For LIV Golf, recognition from the world rankings is vital. Without points, the league's stars continue to plummet in the global rankings, making qualification for the four major tournaments much more difficult. The recent departure of top star Brooks Koepka and rumors of further departures show that prestige alone is not enough to retain the world's elite in the long term.

Conclusion: LIV Golf is sacrificing its original uniqueness on the altar of recognition. The switch to 72 holes and 57 players is a clear peace offering to the establishment. Whether this will be enough to award the first points in time for the start of the 2026 season remains to be seen - but the door is wider open than ever before.

The most important changes at a glance:

• Field size: increase from 54 to 57 players.
• Qualification: Three new places via the promotional event (January 8 to 11).
• Format: Permanent change from 54 to 72 holes at LIV events.
• OWGR reform: 54-hole tournaments will generally only receive 75 percent of the points; 36-hole events only 50 percent.