LIV Golf events will be played for 72 holes from 2026. But will that be enough to make the Saudi-based promotion a compelling product? Yes, they have tried to make it exciting with the shotgun starts and signing some of the biggest names in the sport. But there is one thing still missing in LIV Golf that the PGA Tour has command over. And Carlos Ortiz revealed that they will be bringing that change as well in the near future.

The Spanish veteran joined the Flushing It podcast for a conversation recently. At the beginning of their talk, he was asked about the 4-day format that Scott O’Neil implemented to comply with OWGR. Ortiz told the hosts, “It’s the same thing. We are playing one more tournament round. For me, it honestly doesn’t change much. I feel almost like the practice days are harder, more tolling on the body than the actual days of play.”

Considering the fast-paced action of LIV Golf, the pros usually complete the rounds quickly enough. That doesn’t happen on the PGA Tour, as the lack of the shotgun rule forces the field to be split into two halves of the day and the rounds to be stretched far beyond the average time taken at LIV Golf events. Compared to that, practicing for the tournament does seem far more grueling. Pros usually spend many hours throughout the day preparing for the event and trying to perfect their strokes by hitting thousands of golf balls.

Either way, Ortiz is not complaining about LIV Golf moving to 72 holes: “I just see it like as a compromise that we have to do if we want to be a part of the ecosystem. And I’m all for it if there’s a compromise on this side that has to be made. I think we should do them and find that place where we can work with the whole golf world. And I think LIV is showing that we’re willing to do that, and moving to 72 holes and a couple more of the other changes is going to help that.”

Unlike Greg Norman, Scott O’Neil’s willingness to change the format of LIV Golf showed how eager he is to watch the product succeed. He is focused on helping it attain the OWGR status. Even if Rory McIlroy believed that they didn’t need to do that, the LIV Golf CEO knew it was the right step to secure the status of the league. Having said that, Ortiz also hinted at another big change the new CEO might implement in the near future.

“I think the fields are going to get bigger with time, and I think that also is a statement saying that ‘Look, guys, that’s some of the criticisms that we got.’ Now we’re working to find that middle point where it’s not what they want or what we want. It’s just what it should be, and we’re working towards that.”

He suggested that with the total number of holes increased, O’Neil might also increase the roster size of LIV Golf. Especially if they attain an OWGR status. Even Bob Harig had mentioned how, even if LIV Golf does get ranking points, they won’t be able to receive higher points due to small fields. The new rules implemented by the OWGR in 2022 regulate the points an event can get based on the field size instead of the quality of the field. So O’Neil will certainly need to increase the roster size of LIV Golf.

Ortize also mentioned, “It’s funny because we’re seeing their fields are shrinking, and we’re growing. They’re trying to get less players. We’re trying to make it where we have a little more players, and I think we’re seeing that. I don’t know if it’s going to be in two, three, or five years, but we’re seeing that we’re finding some common ground. I’m actually excited because I feel that golf deserves to be united again, not separated. I think this is a step towards the right direction.”

While LIV Golf is moving towards an increasing number of holes and field size, the PGA Tour is going the other way. Last year, Jay Monahan announced that the number of PGA Tour memberships would be reduced from 125 to 100. The field size for events was also drastically decreased. Based on the OWGR rules, the PGA Tour events should start rewarding fewer OWGR points every week from 2026 onwards. On the other hand, LIV Golf is growing, improving, and catching the spotlight. Once the league is sanctioned by the world golf rankings system, it will certainly prove to be a legitimate threat to the PGA Tour, just like Paul McGinley predicted.

That being said, Scott O’Neil & Co. have laid out the blueprint for the future of LIV Golf. It’s not just about increasing the field size, but they are covering all the bases to ensure that the league turns into a legitimate Tour. Let’s look at what other strategies they have implemented.

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All changes made by LIV Golf recently

Ever since the OWGR sanction has come back into the picture, LIV Golf has been working hard to ensure it fits all the requirements. Scott O’Neil & Co. first announced the changes in the new LIV Golf contracts. Any player who signs a new contract with the league will have to abide by the rules of minimum seasonal event requirements, i.e., they need to play 13 LIV Golf events and 2 International Series events.

They also modified the number of contracts awarded to players participating in the LIV Golf Promotions events. That was raised from one to two. That opened the gateway for more talent to enter the league through a proper channel as required by the OWGR. Then, the 72-hole format change was the last move they made to improve their chances of getting sanctioned. With so many changes made, it’s evident that Scott O’Neil is pushing for LIV Golf to get an OWGR status for the 2026 season. We’ll have to wait and see if they can achieve that.