LIV Golf made a drastic move by changing to a 72-hole format for the 2026 season.
Despite being named after its original 54-hole format, LIV Golf switched to 72 holes to secure points for its players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Jon Rahm has advocated for this rule change for a long time now, although Rory McIlroy doesn’t think it will secure LIV OWGR points, so the change is ultimately for nothing, according to the 2025 Masters winner.
But overall, it’s a popular change among players hoping to contend for major championships next season. None of the majors were won by LIV players in 2025, as their shorter format did little to prepare them for the biggest events of the year.
However, one player who won on the LIV tour in 2025 is not happy about the change.
Adrian Meronk says he preferred LIV Golf’s 54-hole format
Adrian Meronk, who won LIV Golf’s first event of the season in Riyadh, said he much preferred the 54-hole format to the more traditional 72 holes.
Speaking to Flushing It Golf, he explained: “Personally, I prefer 54, but it’s only my opinion. I accept 72. It’s the same for everyone, so I just have to adjust and kind of prepare a little bit differently for those.
“I think it’s not going to be as aggressive from the beginning as it was. So yeah, back to traditional golf, I guess.
Which LIV golfer do you most want to see return to the PGA Tour?
“I don’t know, it just felt like a nice, quick tournament, you know, for me, four rounds is just such a long week. You have to stay focused for so long, and just, the days are so long, you know?
“That’s what I really like about LIV. Initially coming to LIV, very quick tournaments, as soon as you start. Boom, you play, either you’re up there or you’re preparing for next week. So, yeah, that’s what I think.”
The change of format hasn’t affected Meronk’s loyalty to the tour, and it seemingly hasn’t impacted LIV’s ability to sign players. Laurie Canter and Victor Perez recently joined LIV Golf in the two biggest moves of the season.
And while LIV will clearly favour the opinion of their individual champion, Rahm, it’s interesting to hear that this isn’t a universally popular decision among all of their players.
Adrian Meronk says if he’s hopeful of a deal between LIV Golf and the DP World Tour
For players such as Meronk, who plays on the DP World Tour in addition to LIV Golf, the 2026 season is shrouded in doubt.
It was reported this summer that LIV Golf will no longer pay DP World Tour fines for its players, with massive ramifications for players hoping to qualify for the Ryder Cup or simply wanting to play on the European Tour.
Amid the uncertainty, Meronk confirmed he plans to play two more DP World Tour events before the start of the LIV season.
He said, “So I stayed a member. So, to be honest, I wasn’t really… I just found out 2 weeks ago that I have one more year exemption, because I wasn’t aware of it.
Which DP World Tour player is best placed to keep their PGA Tour card in 2026?
“So yeah, I decided to stay, I would probably play one more tournament in South Africa, the Nedbank, and then the Dubai Desert Classic. And hopefully they will sort something with the fines, and then we’ll see what happens next.”
When asked if he sees a deal on the horizon between LIV and the DP World Tour, he said, “I only can hope, to be honest. There’s no answers for now. So, I can just wait and see what will happen.”
The DP World Tour is increasingly important for LIV players, as it represents a pathway back to the PGA Tour if they are relegated from LIV. That appears to be the plan for Henrik Stenson, who returned the DP World Tour after his relegation.
That’s one of the many reasons why a deal between LIV and the tour is so important to these players, so we’ll wait with bated breath for the outcome to this saga.
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