Earlier this year, CEO Scott O’Neil  confirmed that LIV Golf would not pay the DPWT fines for their players. And now, he is signaling a new phase in the Cold War with the DP World Tour. Pros have to pay out of their pockets if they want to tee off in both leagues, which Jon Rahm refused to do. But if Rahm declines to pay the fines and so does LIV Golf, the Spaniard won’t be eligible for the next Ryder Cup. That possibility has pushed LIV Golf back to the negotiating table.

“This is something that needs to be settled, and I’m looking forward to that day,” O’Neil said while talking to The Telegraph. “We’re having constructive conversations with Guy Kinnings [the DP World Tour chief executive] and his team. We are hoping that before the season starts, we can all come together in the best interest of golf and put this behind us.”

LIV needs to make sure Rahm is eligible for the next Ryder Cup. Otherwise, the PIF-funded league will find it hard to draw in the rising stars. Scott O’Neil’s comments reveal that the league was forced to reconsider its hard-line stances against the DP World Tour. It has already been 15 months since Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton filed the appeal against the fines that they have been subjected to. And with no hearing date announced yet, both players remain stuck in limbo as the total climbs past £1 million.

The fines were triggered because the LIV players breached the DP World Tour’s participation rules. Even though Rahm teed off in this year’s Ryder Cup, reflecting on his comments, Team Europe captain Donald has added previously, “He has his thoughts, and he doesn’t agree with the fines and paying fines, especially for events that he would never have played on the DP World Tour. But those rules are the rules, and they were certainly in place when he signed with LIV.” Given the precedent set when the Tour prevailed against Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood in 2023, few inside the DPWT expect Rahm or Hatton’s appeals to succeed.

Even in the previous season, LIV Golf authorities believed that they had reached a fruitful resolution. But unfortunately, it never materialized. Once again, the PIF-funded league is trying to find a solution, and this time it appears they are more accommodating of DPWT’s demands. O’Neil has acknowledged that LIV’s payments to Wentworth have already surpassed £20 million and that players may no longer be willing to cover these costs themselves, increasing the pressure to reach a settlement.

Alongside such a major decision, LIV Golf has taken another major step. This new move may ensure that their golfers get a chance to be ranked under the official World Golf Rankings.

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LIV Golf shifts to 72-hole structure, aiming for OWGR recognition

LIV Golf has followed a three-round 54-hole format since its inception. But recently, the authorities of the Saudi-backed league have decided to step up and shift to the 72-hole structure from the upcoming 2026 season. Pros like Rahm have welcomed the move.

While LIV golfers to date have not gotten the opportunity to earn world ranking points, such a decision might resolve that issue to a certain extent. O’Neil even called the change a key step in their push for legitimacy, especially with world ranking access still unresolved.

The Chief Executive, Scott O’Neil, recently shared with The Athletic, “My hope is that this is walked down before the start of the season, and hopefully even sooner. We’re having very constructive dialogue. I’ll leave it at that.”

“What became increasingly clear as my time started to roll at LIV Golf was that the better players want more golf. Period, end of sentence,” noted Scott O’Neil. He also described the ongoing fines dispute and the stalled pursuit of world ranking points as the two biggest disappointments of his first year in charge.

Now it remains to be seen how the LIV Golf stars adjust to the new system after four long years. Along with that, the fine fiasco is going to keep Scott O’Neil busy before the next season starts. And with key players such as Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau nearing the end of their contracts, and questions emerging about their futures, LIV enters 2026 with more uncertainty than expected, even as it tries to secure stability on multiple fronts.