It’s been a difficult offseason for LIV Golf, and one that’s split opinion among its own fans.
The biggest story, of course, was Brooks Koepka returning to the PGA Tour, as the five-time major winner became the first big name to jump ship from the Saudi-backed league.
It’s the first time LIV has taken a real step backwards in terms of talent on the tour. Not only did Koepka leave LIV, but they have also been unable to bring in any big names. Even negotiations with Si Woo Kim fell through.
This is a tumultuous time for the league, and its future currently hangs by a thread. The PGA Tour is actively pursuing Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, and LIV desperately needs to cling to its star names to ensure its survival.
It’s therefore concerning that one of their captains, two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, has criticised the tour for a major change they made this winter.
Bubba Watson asks LIV Golf to U-Turn on major decision made this offseason
LIV Golf went against its very identity this offseason by moving to a traditional 72-hole format, rather than the 54-hole format that once gave the tour its name. This was in an attempt to secure Official World Golf Ranking points for its players.
The move was supported by Rahm and DeChambeau, but it’s not universally popular among LIV players. Dustin Johnson preferred the 54-hole format, and as did Watson.
The 47-year-old was asked by The Mirror if he’s supportive of the move to 72-holes, and he replied, “No. I think we should go back to three days. And there’s a reason why. I think that at the sprint, everybody stays together.
“When you go four days, you’re going to have some more spread out leaders, and it just kind of takes away your last round, right?
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“And when everybody’s close, battling, it puts more people in the mix on a Sunday or the last round on a Saturday, whichever tournament you’re at. And so that just makes it better for the fans when there’s chaos happening.”
The problem for LIV is that, despite Rahm winning the individual title, their biggest stars simply didn’t win enough to attract viewers on a weekly basis. Beyond this being a bid for OWGR points, it’s a move to get the best players on LIV to the top of the leaderboard every Sunday.
That will upset players like Watson, whose Range Goats team finished 10th in the team standings in 2025. But LIV had to make this move to appease its biggest stars, while sacrificing players further down the roster. It’s a matter of life or death for the league.
LIV Golf abandons its identity in 2025
It does seem, however, that LIV is moving away from everything it previously stood for as we enter 2026. Rory McIlroy criticized LIV’s change to 72-holes, pointing out that the league now brings nothing new to the table. It’s just a worse alternative to the PGA Tour.
He’s got a point. And with every new announcement, it seems that LIV is abandoning its identity in a desperate attempt to regain credibility on the golfing landscape.
Even its new TV leaderboard has upset fans. Their former pylon used to run down the left-hand side of the screen, clearly showing which team each player represented. LIV’s team format is what made the tour different, but instead of leaning into this, they appear to be brushing it under the rug.
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The tour recently unveiled its new leaderboard, and the teams are barely visible. A small white logo next to the players’ names is all that can be identified. LIV is sending a message: this is now an individual league first, and a team league second.
As the walls close in, instead of leaning into what its fans love and carving out an identity, LIV panicked. Now there’s little to differentiate it from the PGA Tour.
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