LIV Golf have serious issue they need to address in 2026 that has badly affected three major winners since they joined

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LIV Golf is still very much dividing opinion three years on from when it was formed in 2022.

Three years down the line, there is still no sign of a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour being anywhere near close.

LIV have some fantastic players on board, but they do seem to be struggling to gain the traction they thought they would have by now.

The Saudi-backed golf league play on some terrific golf courses around the world, and they boast players amongst their ranks who are still right at the very top of their games. So what is missing?

Sir Nick Faldo has suggested that LIV players have a lack of hunger to compete nowadays.

There might just be an element of truth to that.

And LIV Golf need to change one thing in particular ahead of the 2026 season, if they are to continue to grow as a tour.

LIV Golf have a serious issue they need to address in 2026

It could be argued that the only players who have actually improved since joining LIV are Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann.

Jon Rahm has been incredibly consistent, but hasn’t really featured in the major championships.

Meanwhile, the likes of 4 Aces captain Dustin Johnson, Smash skipper Brooks Koepka and Ripper captain Cam Smith have all regressed on the whole.

Those names are some of the biggest draws on LIV, but if they continue to play poorly, the fans will switch off in the end.

Sure, Koepka won the PGA Championship in 2023 but aside from that, he has been a total non factor in the majors.

While Johnson and Smith have just five top-10s in majors between them since they joined LIV.

It is clear to see that all three have suffered badly over the past few years when it comes to competing at the very highest level of the game.

So what has to change? How can LIV ensure that their biggest names remain competitive in the major championships?

Team captains on LIV have zero consequences

On the Saudi-backed golf league, there are no consequences for team captains performing poorly.

They are all immune from relegation, so what motivation do they actually have to get out of bed in the morning and work as hard as they did when they played on the PGA Tour?

Something has to change in 2026, if LIV is to offer a better product whereby the best players on the tour actually have the hunger to improve.

The potential for team captains to be relegated needs to be brought in for the 2026 season.

Another interesting idea would be if one of the captains’ teammates finishes higher than them in the standings, they then lose their position as the leader of the team for the following season.

Something needs to be done so that players like Koepka, Johnson and Smith have a better chance to remain at the top of their games.

If nothing changes, LIV may well have a hard time attracting more top players to join their league in the future.