Despite being released on the same morning, LIV Golf’s year-end news and the Official World Golf Rankings may seem unrelated. LIV plans to expand its field from 54 to 57 players in 2026, and OWGR will now offer discounts on world ranking points for events completed in fewer than 72 holes.
But this decision is at least partially relevant, as LIV Golf is looking more than ever to rack up world ranking points. And OWGR continues to warm to that outlook.
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“Since the end of June, the Board of Directors has worked to thoroughly evaluate the LIV Golf application,” OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman said in a press release. “We remain committed to OWGR’s mission, which requires respecting the meritocracy woven into the professional game.
“As such, discussions have taken place regularly and are ongoing. To be clear, while progress has been made, there are no decisions to share at this time. As previously stated, we will continue to work closely with LIV Golf as it continues to evolve to ensure applications are handled with fairness, integrity and consistency.”
That may mean LIV starts 2026 with no change in points status, but that “progress” is not important. The league decided during this offseason to change the event to 72 holes to align with the majority of professional tours that receive OWGR points. It also expanded access to the $25 million event.
LIV’s Dec. 30 announcement focuses on adding three additional “wildcard” slots to its field, all from the LIV Golf Promotions event next month in Florida. The 80 contestants will be whittled down to three players, each of whom will earn a full-season starting spot and play solely for themselves rather than as members of the LIV franchise.
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Although the list of names in the promotion field is modest, the presence of these channels in what was once a very closed circuit indicates that LIV is leaning in the direction of OWGR. One of the main tenets of OWGR’s meritocracy policy is to ensure that the tours it awards provide an avenue for golfers around the world.
Is it enough for LIV to receive OWGR points right away? The league spent most of 2025 believing it would earn points by the end of the year, but in reality that would not be the case. That being said, the OWGR shows that while it may be traditional and slow to adjust, change is possible. On Tuesday morning, it was announced that scheduled 54-hole tournaments would receive 75% of the world ranking points awarded to 72-hole events, and events shortened from the originally scheduled 72 holes to 54 or 36 holes would receive 75% and 50% of the original points.
The move would protect the rankings from over-reward events that were canceled due to weather, such as when the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Windham-Clark ended after 54 holes. Clark received the full amount of points he would normally have received during the 72-hole event at Pebble Beach, but not under the revised policy.
Of course, this adjustment can be viewed independently of LIV Golf, but you need look no further than the second press release quote by Immelman.
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“During an extensive review of the rankings, the board determined that events consisting of fewer than 72 holes needed to be addressed.”
Post-LIV Golf, the format will change again. OWGR’s adjustment to its 54-hole policy comes for the first time in golf.
