In a significant pivot from its foundational identity, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League has announced it will switch from its signature 54-hole format to the traditional 72-hole structure for the upcoming season. The move, widely seen as an attempt to align with the established norms of professional golf, was immediately met with scorn from one of the sport’s biggest stars, Rory McIlroy.
Since its inception, LIV Golf has distinguished itself from the PGA Tour with a three-round, no-cut format, promising a faster, more concentrated product. However, this has been a major point of contention, with critics arguing it devalued the competition and made it difficult for players’ performances to be compared directly with tours using the 72-hole standard.
The reversal was confirmed in a statement from LIV Golf, framing the change as an evolution. “We are constantly evaluating ways to grow and improve the LIV Golf League,” a spokesperson said. “This transition to 72 holes, while maintaining our other unique features like team play and shotgun starts, is a natural progression to enhance competition and further integrate the sport.”
The announcement, however, was swiftly overshadowed by the reaction of four-time major champion Rory McIlroy. When asked for comment on the change, McIlroy, a long-standing defender of the traditional golf ecosystem, did not mince words.
“A piece of sh!t is still a piece of sh!t,” McIlroy told reporters. “It doesn’t matter how you dress it up. Changing the number of holes doesn’t change where the money comes from or the fact that it’s a closed shop.”
McIlroy’s blistering critique cuts to the heart of the division that has fractured professional golf. His comments reference the ongoing criticism of LIV Golf’s financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and its format as a limited-field, invitational series without a promotion-and-relegation system.
The format change is the clearest signal yet that LIV Golf is seeking legitimacy in the wider golf world, especially as it continues negotiations with the PGA Tour regarding a potential future partnership. By adopting the 72-hole standard, LIV eliminates one of the most frequently cited procedural differences between the two tours.
Yet, as McIlroy’s reaction demonstrates, the move is unlikely to heal the deep ideological rifts. For traditionalists, the core issues of sportswashing and a fractured competitive landscape remain unaddressed.
The golf world is now left to watch whether this major concession by LIV will lead to more meaningful reconciliation or if, as McIlroy suggests, the fundamental schisms are too deep to be solved by simply adding another round of play.